Sources: Bears give RT Wright historic extension — SkimNews
SkimNews Take
Locking in a right tackle at a record price suggests the Bears are paying to preserve a run-game identity rather than pivot, effectively converting recent trench performance into long-term roster architecture before the market recalibrates.
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- Darnell Wright signed a four-year, $116 million extension with $93M guaranteed — the largest contract ever for an NFL right tackle
- Wright's $29 million per year trails only Laremy Tunsil's $30.1M average among all offensive tackles
- Despite a Week 3 elbow injury he played through, Wright earned second-team All-Pro honors and posted a 95.2% pass block win rate (fourth in the NFL) last season
- The Bears had picked up Wright's fifth-year option in May and finalized the extension after just six training camp practices
- The Bears' offensive line helped Caleb Williams cut sacks from 68 (rookie year) to 24 in 2025, powering the league's No. 3 rushing offense and 10th-best passing attack
- Coach Ben Johnson said the offense runs "right-handed" because Wright is a powerful run-blocker who can "displace guys off the line of scrimmage"
- GM Ryan Poles framed consistency as "the key part" for Wright — the next frontier after the contract was secured
Why it matters: At $29 million per year, Wright's average is second only to Laremy Tunsil's $30.1M among all NFL offensive tackles — and the Bears are paying a premium to keep the anchor of a line that already helped Caleb Williams cut sacks from 68 to 24 and powered the NFL's third-ranked rushing attack, betting that continuity up front translates into sustained contention.
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