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Bears general manager Ryan Poles.

The Chicago Bears are beginning to get a clearer picture of what it might cost them to extend All-Pro right tackle Darnell Wright for the long-term future.

Wright — the No. 10 overall pick in 2023 — has more than earned a lucrative contract extension from the Bears in the three seasons since he took over as their starting right tackle. He emerged as a true run-blocking force and showed significant improvements as a pass protector in 2025 during his first season in Ben Johnson’s new offense.

Entering the 2026 offseason, though, Wright and the other 2023 draft picks became eligible to sign extensions with their respective teams. Some former first-rounders already did earlier this spring: Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. ($50 million per season) and Seattle Seahawks‘ Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15 million per season).

The Bears already picked up Wright’s fifth-year option to lock him into place for the 2027 season on a fully guaranteed $19.07 million contract, but general manager Ryan Poles said April 21 that he expects contract negotiations to begin in “the near future.”

The latest contract projection from Pro Football Focus also foretells that Wright’s next deal will cost “at least $23 million per season,” which would rank fourth at the position.

“After a more pedestrian first season, Wright has turned into one of the league’s best tackles,” Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker wrote. “Since 2024, Wright ranks 11th in WAR (0.50) and 15th in overall PFF grade (85.1) at the position. He’s been particularly lucrative in the run game, where his 86.5 PFF run-blocking mark places sixth.

“With the Bears’ offense beginning to take shape under Ben Johnson in 2025, Wright remains a key part of the team’s upward trajectory. The 24-year-old should fetch at least $23 million per season on his new contract.”

Darnell Wright Progressed to All-Pro Talent in 2025

Wright played like a promising starter with room to grow over his first two seasons with the Bears, but he grew into one of the NFL’s better right tackles under Johnson in 2025.

Wright’s dominant run-blocking as a right-side anchor helped set the tone for the Bears’ third-ranked rushing offense (144.5 yards per game) in the league in 2025. According to Pro Football Focus, he earned the sixth-best run blocking grade (85.6) among offensive tackles and posted an elite 18.3% impact run-block rate — third best at the position.

He also upped his game in pass protection, allowing just three sacks and 19 pressures on 1,074 total offensive snaps in 2025 and earning second-team All-Pro recognition.

For the Bears, Wright’s growth is a win in more ways than one. Not only did they pass up on defensive tackle Jalen Carter to acquire Wright, but they boldly made him the second-selected offensive lineman in the 2023 draft class ahead of other, more media-popular targets for them, such as Peter Skoronski (11th) or Broderick Jones (14th).

Wright also provides Chicago’s offensive line with its only foundational starter. While Joe Thuney is a top-notch pro and Jonah Jackson had a good season in 2025, the two guards will be in their 30s when their deals with the Bears end. Ozzy Trapilo and new rookie Logan Jones could work out in the long run, but Wright is the only strong case.

Now, the Bears just have to pay him.

Bears Should Be Able to Afford Wright’s High Price

While expectations are that Wright will command a high price that would put him near the top of the right-tackle market, the Bears should have no problem affording him.

According to Over the Cap, the Bears are projected to have about $31.7 million in cap space available for the 2027 season when accounting for the cost of Wright’s $19.07 million fifth-year option. They also have seven players whom they could release or trade and save at least $10 million in cap space, giving them flexibility to remold their roster.

Even if the Bears sign Wright to an extension in the range of $23 million to $25 million annually, they should be able to reduce his 2027 cap charge. Three-time All-Pro Tristan Wirfs — the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle — only cost the Tampa Bay Buccaneers about $11.49 million in the first year of his five-year, $140 million contract in 2025.

The Bears do have to stay mindful of the fact that they have other high-priced contract negotiations on the horizon, most importantly with quarterback Caleb Williams — who will become eligible to sign an extension with the team after the 2026 regular season. That shouldn’t stop them from locking down one of their top O-linemen, though.