The Chicago Bears have finally done it. After talking about it all offseason, the Bears have finally extended star right tackle Darnell Wright, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Chicago Bears and RT Darnell Wright reach agreement on a four-year, $116M extension with $93M guaranteed, per me and @RapSheet. Deal is biggest ever for a right tackle and most guaranteed money for an OL in NFL history. Bears and @OctagonFootball reached terms today.”
Wright has talked about wanting to be a Chicago Bear for the rest of his career, saying, “I would love to be on this team for my whole career, for sure. That would be great.”
Now he’s locked in for the foreseeable future.
Bears, Darnell Wright Agree on Massive Extension
Speaking with the media on July 28th, general manager Ryan Poles commented on wanting to extend Wright, saying, “Darnell (Wright) is a guy we want here long term. It takes two sides to get things done. But at the end of the day, I don’t want any distractions or anything like that. So, when it’s time to go play football, we’ll go play football and keep it moving. But, yeah, he’s a guy we would like here for a while.”
There won’t be any distractions with the Bears locking him in for four years, which is not only the biggest deal ever for a right tackle, but his $93 million in guaranteed money is also the most for any offensive lineman in NFL history.
Wright deserves every penny, as he’s appeared in over 95% of the Bears’ offensive snaps since entering the league in 2023.
It’s more than what the Minnesota Vikings just handed their right tackle Brian O’Neill (four-year, $96 million), but O’Neill is also older (30 years old) and past his prime.
Darnell Wright Has Drawn Praise During Offseason
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 26: Darnell Wright #58 of the Chicago Bears looks on after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field on December 26, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Wright landed 6th on ESPN’s top 10 offensive tackles heading into the 2026 season as voted by executives, coaches, and scouts around the league, and as the top right tackle among all OTs.
“‘Power and brute strength,’ an NFL personnel director said. ‘He can do whatever he wants on a football field.’ The Bears were highly pleased with Wright last season as he played through a nagging shoulder injury.”
However, Pro Football Focus (PFF) has Wright at 15th among all offensive tackles, saying, “Wright has become one of the NFL’s best and most durable right tackles during his first three years in Chicago. He clearly took a liking to Ben Johnson’s offense, as he placed 11th among qualified tackles with an 82.7 PFF run-blocking grade last season. Wright also allowed a career-low three sacks across 18 appearances, postseason included. One of the few flaws in his profile is the fact that he has committed 31 penalties in his three NFL seasons, including 12 in 2026.”
Regardless of what the media has to say, Wright has been fantastic for the Bears since being drafted in the first round back in 2023, and the hope is he can continue to anchor the right side at an elite level for years to come.
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