The Chicago Bears locked up a key piece of their offensive line for the foreseeable future on Tuesday, inking right tackle Darnell Wright to a 4 year, $116M extension. The deal will reportedly feature $93M in guaranteed money, and carries an average annual value of $29M per season.
“As we continue to build our team and develop our culture, we are excited that Darnell will remain a cornerstone of our franchise as we work toward creating sustained success,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “Darnell has consistently elevated his play and the performance of his teammates since joining our team, and we look forward to his continued growth and leadership for years to come.”
With the extension in place, Wright is now the highest paid right tackle in NFL history. He’s also the 2nd highest paid offensive tackle in the league in terms of AAV trailing only Washington left tackle Laremy Tunsil who is set to make $30.1M in 2026.
Originally drafted 10th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Tunsil has started all 49 games that he’s appeared in with Chicago since turning pro. Wright’s durability has been a huge benefactor to a Bears offensive line which has seen its share of changes over the years, acting as a stabilizing force with only 2 games missed over his first 3 NFL campaigns.
Wright’s agents and the Bears front office had been quietly working out the details of the extension dating back several weeks. The 24 year old made it known from the onset that he was hoping to be extended and envisioned himself in it for the long haul with this Bears core.
“Obviously, I know I’ll be here for a long time, hopefully my whole career,” Wright said Friday. “Those things kind of just handle themselves, but I mean, I just have to stay focused on the main things. That’s just getting better, consistency every day.”
After giving up a league high 68 sacks in QB Caleb Williams’ rookie season, the Bears made significant personnel changes to the offensive line in 2025. As a result, they gave up the 3rd fewest sacks per pass attempt (24) in the NFL, and took massive steps forward in the run game (3rd rushing offence) as well.
With the details now confirmed, Wright can turn his full attention back to training camp where he and Jonah Jackson, Garrett Bradbury, Joe Thuney, and Braxton Jones hope to take another leap forward in the club’s quest for a Super Bowl championship.
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