Opportunity knocked for Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright this season, amid some key injuries, and he has answered emphatically. Entering Week 18, his eight total takeaways lead the NFL, and he is tied for second in the league with five interceptions.
Entering the regular season finale, Wright has also played 97 percent of the Bears' defensive snaps this season. He is Pro Football Focus' 38th-highest graded cornerback, out of 113 qualifiers, with the 16th-best run defense grade at the position.
Wright was also a bargain bin find for the Bears, signed to a veteran's minimum deal (one year, $1.1 million) after the Minnesota Vikings released him in April. They have gotten far more than their money's worth, and he has lined himself up for a multi-year deal this offseason with a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign. But, once again, Pro Bowl voting proved to be a name recognition/popularity contest more than a reflection of actual on-field performance.
Contract projection for Nahshon Wright shows what he still has to prove
Of course, we've seen players rise in a contract year or when their career seems to be on the ropes, like Wright's did when the Bears took a flier on him. But defensive backs coach Al Harris, who had worked with Wright during his time in the same role with the Dallas Cowboys, clearly saw a skill set he could mold, and that vision came to fruition this season.
Joel Corry of CBS Sports included Wright on his list of seven players who have taken full advantage of a contract year this season.
"On the open market, Wright will need other teams to view this season as a sign of things to come rather than an outlier. Prior to this season, the 2021 third-round pick had primarily been a special teams player who had been on the field for only 269 defensive snaps throughout his NFL career."
As Corry noted, the Bears have made significant contract investments in cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. So it may prove not easy to have a third notable contract on the books at the position. If Harris gets a defensive coordinator job after the season, Wright may follow him to that team.
That said, the financial target Corry offered for Wright, with a two-out-of-four dollar-sign rating for the probability he gets it, should not be a problem for the Bears if they want to retain him.
"Financial benchmark: Kristian Fulton -- two years, $10 million per year, $15 million guaranteed"
On the surface, two years, $20 million, with 75 percent guaranteed, would not be untenable for the Bears. Tacking on a void year would spread the cap hits further.
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Of course, re-signing Wright would all but surely mean Tyrique Stevenson will be gone as a free agent. But it seems the Bears have found a better player anyway.