Cornerback Nahshon Wright had an excellent season for the Chicago Bears in 2025. He was a turnover machine, making multiple game-changing plays throughout Chicago's miraculous season. Entering free agency, it seemed like he was in line for a payday that the Bears simply couldn't match.
The Pro Bowl CB signed with the New York Jets on Tuesday, officially ending Bears fans' hopes of retaining him. Per Jordan Schultz, the one-year deal is worth up to $5.5 million.
At that price, the Bears should have just brought him back to see if he could continue his electric run.
Bears fans watch as Nahshon Wright lands with Jets at a low cost
The Bears' defense thrived on producing turnovers in 2025, and Wright was at the heart of the chaos. He brought in five interceptions and forced two fumbles on the year. While Jaylon Johnson dealt with an injury, the underrated cornerback stepped up and played excellent defense. After hardly seeing the field for the first three years of his career, the former third-round pick suddenly became a star.
Coming off such an impactful season, it looked like Wright would earn a lucrative deal in free agency. Spotrac even estimated that he would make $16.7 million per year on his next contract. At that price, the Bears were forced to let him leave.
As it turns out, those projections were far too high. Wright's contract with the Jets proves that the league didn't see the starting-caliber player that many experts thought Wright could be. He will likely take on a backup role in New York, hoping to earn another chance to make an impact. This signing comes as part of a flurry of moves made by the Jets to fill out their roster for 2026.
But the shockingly low cost of the deal has Bears fans wondering why Ryan Poles didn't fork over the money himself. The Bears have limited cap space, but they certainly could have fit a contract like this into the budget. Wright has shown that he can be a quality player in Dennis Allen's system. Even if he can't continue to produce turnovers at such a high rate, he's a steady backup at the very least.
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Now, the Bears are forced to find cornerback depth elsewhere, likely through the upcoming draft. This deal already looks like a steal for the Jets and a confusing miss for the Bears.