So far, the Chicago Bears’ offseason has largely been about who they have lost, with three key members of the organization–Declan Doyle (Baltimore Ravens), Eric Bieniemy (Kansas City Chiefs), and Ian Cunningham (Atlanta Falcons)–already moving on.
Soon, the Bears and general manager Ryans Poles will lean heavily into retaining players rather than coaches and executives, with opportunities to bolster their roster still to come as well.
The former is where Nahshon Wright comes into play for the Bears
Bears Get Reality Check About Nahshon Wright
Nashon Wright Earns ‘Biggest Steal’ Label With Bears
Wright signed with the Bears in free agency during the 2024 offseason after stints with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him, before that. He went on to have a Pro Bowl-caliber season, officially earning the honor as an alternate.
Now, Wright heads into free agency uncertain about what the future may hold for him.
Former sports agent Joel Corry, now an analyst for CBS Sports, noted Wright’s rise from relative obscurity to key offseason domino, calling him the “biggest steal” of this past season.
“The Bears had no idea Nahshon Wright would play such a prominent role on their defense,” Corry wrote on January 30. “Wright seized an opportunity created by multiple injuries at cornerback and put together a breakout season. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for November and led the NFL with eight takeaways (five interceptions and three fumble recoveries).
“The Bears already have significant financial commitments at cornerback, though. Jaylon Johnson is in the second year of the four-year, $76 million deal he signed in 2024 that averages $19 million per year. Kyler Gordon signed a three-year, $40 million extension in April that averages $13,333,333 per year.”
If they can find an amicable number, Wright is certainly open to returning, telling Clocker Sports after their season-ending loss in the NFC Championship Game that “no conversation’s been had yet. But yeah, obviously, you want to come back to a team who believed in you.
“We’ll see what happens. But, as of right now, no, I don’t know.”
Wright allowed a lower completion percentage than Gordon and Johnson, per Pro Football Reference, while also playing in more games than that duo combined during the regular season.
Bears Get Good News From NFL
Wright signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Bears last offseason. He will certainly command a raise this coming offseason. Spotrac projects Wright could net a deal worth as much as $16.7 million annually, using a three-year, $50 million pact as an example.
The NFL also announced an increase in the salary cap.
“The NFL informed clubs today it is projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, per source,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on X on January 30.
Unfortunately for the Bears, that still leaves them more than $10 million over the salary cap before making any other moves, per Spotrac, meaning they have work to do to get in compliance before they can begin building out their roster any further.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti identified opportunities that could save up to $64.4 million.
That leaves the Bears in much better shape than base projections would suggest, which is especially encouraging given all of the change that is coming to the roster and coaching staff.
