After all the adversity the Chicago Bears have faced with injuries to the secondary, they have solace in their backup cornerback, Nahshon Wright, stepping up massively.
The Bears lost three of their top four cornerbacks to injuries during training camp and the regular season for either the year or for an extended period of time. Those injured included Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Terell Smith.
News came in before the Bears' Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that Johnson and Gordon will stay on IR, but the team hopes to have them for their Week 13 Black Friday game against the Philadelphia Eagles. That means if both return, this could be the last start Wright makes with the team, so the Steelers game just became big for him.
Wright has something to prove to not only the Bears, but the NFL
This season, Wright has started nine of 10 games on the outside, with Tyrique Stevenson being the other starting outside corner. Wright has racked up 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, eight pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions, and one pick-six.
His interception total is tied for second in the NFL, while his teammate, Kevin Byard III, leads the league with five. Wright is tied with his other teammate, the recently IR addition Tremaine Edmunds, who also has four picks.
Pro Football Focus has a low grade for Wright this season, with an overall grade of 52.5, ranking 89th among 109 corners. This grade reflects that he has allowed 13.7 yards per reception and missed five tackles.
It's been far from a perfect performance from Wright in 2025, but he has come up with some clutch plays. In the Week 1 Vikings game, he had his pick-six that gave the Bears a two-score lead in the third quarter. He also got another interception on the Vikings in their second matchup in the Week 11 19-17 win when he nabbed one in the end zone before halftime.
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Wright needs this game with Johnson and Gordon looming on the edge of their returns. A big game against the Steelers could either have Wright at least in the rotation or could lead to a nice contract in the offseason by another team.