Part of the Chicago Bears' impressive resurgence this year has been the improved play of their offensive line.
All three of their off-season acquisitions on the interior have turned out exactly how general manager Ryan Poles hoped. And second-round pick Ozzie Trupilo has entrenched himself as a viable option at left tackle.
But the lone holdover from last year's rotation, right tackle Darnell Wright, has been just as good, if not better, than the rest. Per Pro Football Focus, Wright now ranks 10th among all qualifying tackles in pressures allowed at 17. His 97.9 pass-block efficiency rating, per their site, is tied for sixth-best. And when the Bears run to Wright's side on traditional run plays, they are averaging 0.3 yards per carry more than when they run to the left.
Wright has been essential to the team's turnaround, and he should soon be rewarded for his efforts. Wright will be extension-eligible in the 2026 off-season. And chances are, he will be near, if not at the top of the Poles' to-do list.
Darnell Wright's Value
Wright should be seeking a deal at the top of the market for right tackles and near the top for all offensive linemen. Extrapolating out his season-to-date performance and comparing it to other recent tackle deals places Wright in a very favorable light. Extrapolating out Wright's playtime over the rest of this season, his performance over the past two seasons, as well as this year, is very similar to Panthers' right tackle Taylor Moton leading up to his 2021 contract extension.
*Note these numbers are pulled from Pro Football Focus.
Player | Age | Draft Round | Games | Snaps | Pressures Allowed | Pressure Rate Allowed | Sacks Allowed | PFF Pass Block Grade | True Pass Set Pressure Rate Allowed | PFF Run Block Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Darnell Wright (2024-2025) | 25.1 | 1 | 32 | 2096 | 52 | 4.06% | 8 | 74.1 | 5.45% | 81.3 |
Taylor Moton (2019-2020) | 27.0 | 2 | 32 | 2138 | 48 | 3.45% | 8 | 78.3 | 5.86% | 72.7 |
Player | Age | Draft Round | Games | Snaps | Pressures Allowed | Pressure Rate Allowed | Sacks Allowed | PFF Pass Block Grade | True Pass Set Pressure Rate Allowed | PFF Run Block Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Darnell Wright (2025) | 25.1 | 1 | 16 | 1075 | 22 | 3.56% | 3 | 72.1 | 4.62% | 80.0 |
Taylor Moton (2020) | 27.0 | 2 | 16 | 1032 | 19 | 2.89% | 3 | 77.9 | 3.94% | 76.3 |
The production profiles of the two players are similar. But Wright has multiple advantages. He is younger than Moton was at the time of his extension. He also has the higher-profile draft pedigree. Moton's pass protection metrics are slightly better, but Wright has been the more forceful run blocker.
Moton's contract in 2021 was for five years and $85 million, averaging $17 million per year. 2021 was an outlier for the NFL salary cap. On the heels of the 2020 COVID-19 season, the cap dropped from $198.2 million to $182.5 million before rebounding to $208.2 million in 2022. In my research and data, I use the midpoint of 2020 and 2022 when analyzing these deals and projecting contracts.
Moton's $17 million APY was 8.37% of the modified cap number I use for that year. Bringing that percentage forward to a $300 million projected cap for 2026, and Wright's camp should be asking for a minimum of $25 million per year with Moton as the comparable deal.
Braden Smith's 2021 contract may also be in play using a three-year timeline of production. Smith's deal averaged $17.5 million per year, which could push Wright's ask to $26 million per year. That would make Wright the second-highest paid right tackle in the NFL, behind only his division rival Penei Sewell.
For such a significant per-year investment, the Bears will look to get a considerable time investment from Wright. Moton gave the Panthers five years. But he was headed to free agency. Wright still has at least one year left on his rookie deal and is no doubt headed to having his fifth-year option exercised if no long-term deal is reached.
A four-year extension would effectively be a six-year contract and keep Wright in Chicago through 2031. That would make the extension four years, $104 million, and the effective APY, including the existing years on his current deal, $21,259,718.
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While the extension value is high, it is a more palatable number that helps Poles spread out Wright's cash payments and cap hits over a longer time frame. And it will help him continue to balance the significant monetary investments he has made since taking over in the Windy City.