Jaylon Johnson said what every Bears fan is doing with $1.1 million emerging star

Each year in the NFL, there's always a surprise performance that comes out of nowhere that no one was expecting.

This season for the Chicago Bears, that surprise has been cornerback Nahshon Wright, who has filled in for mostly Jaylon Johnson and, last week, Tyrique Stevenson due to injury, and it has paid off. Wright has been stellar with the turnovers he has created and given himself a well-deserved spot in the starting lineup.

Johnson spoke about Wright's play of late and his reaction to Wright playing well. No one could be happier for Wright's performance than Johnson.

"Just appreciating it. Realistically speaking, it was just taken by storm with what he was going to do and how he would contribute to the team. But I feel like the way he's turned the ball over, the way he has had the ball on his mind has been really impressive. Again, you get what you emphasize. I know as a group we have been emphasizing that. And he's been capitalizing on it all season."

Wright has been a star in the making in 2025

While it hasn't all been perfect in 2025, Wright has been able to make critical plays almost every week for the Bears' defense. He made a massive play in the Bears' 24-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles when Wright stripped the ball away from Jalen Hurts on the Tush Push deep in their own territory to get the ball back to Chicago.

This season, Wright has racked up 54 tackles, 10 pass deflections, five interceptions, three fumble recoveries, three tackles for loss, one touchdown, and one quarterback hit in 12 games with 11 starts. He has primarily been the Bears' CB2, replacing Johnson and Stevenson.

Wright's play has more than earned him a spot in the starting lineup, but what about after the season? He's about to become a hot name in free agency to sign, so the Bears might be faced with a tough dilemma in whether they should pay Wright big money or let him sign with another team to be a CB2.

Those are concerns the Bears will have to worry about after the season ends. For now, fans in Chicago are just going to enjoy this crazy ride Wright has been on and hope he can keep the momentum going the rest of the season.