Bears To Exercise RT Darnell Wright’s Fifth-Year Option

Although the team imported two new guards (Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson) via trade last year and changed left tackles midseason, Darnell Wright remains the constant on this front. After a breakthrough 2025 slate, Wright has secured a sizable guarantee. The Bears are picking up their right tackle’s fifth-year option, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Wright earned second-team All-Pro status, but as the Trent McDuffie option number illustrated last year, All-Pro accolades are not factored into the option formula (only original-ballot Pro Bowl invites). As such, Wright — who has yet to make a Pro Bowl — lands on the second run of the O-line option ladder. This comes out to a $19.07MM 2027 guarantee, one the Titans are also authorizing for Peter Skoronski. The Bears chose Wright one spot ahead of Skoronski in 2023 (at No. 10 overall) and have seen strong returns from the Tennessee alum.

Chicago agreed to move down one spot with Philadelphia, giving the Eagles access to controversial prospect Jalen Carter. While the Bears ended up with a lower-profile rookie in Wright, he became an instant starter and has lined up with the team’s first-stringers in all 49 games played. Wright, 24, joined Thuney as an All-Pro on this O-line last season. Dalman made the Pro Bowl; the Bears have since traded for Garrett Bradbury to replace him.

Now extension-eligible, Wright has a path to becoming the NFL’s highest-paid RT. Penei Sewell currently holds that distinction, with a $28MM-per-year contract, but is likely to slide to left tackle after the Lions’ Taylor Decker release. Tristan Wirfs also moved to the blind side. Lane Johnson is tied to a $25MM-AAV deal; he is nearing an age-36 season. Wright should be able to approach Sewell territory, creating a good problem for a Bears team that has two higher-end salaries at guard (but no longer one at center) to go with an ascending quarterback set to become extension-eligible in 2027.

ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted Wright fourth among tackles last season, while Pro Football Focus ranked Wright 15th among all tackles in his third season. Wright placed ninth among all tackles in 2024 pass block win rate, setting the stage for his All-Pro emergence. The Bears will be able to pair a Wright extension with Trapilo’s rookie contract for a bit, though Braxton Jones remains in the picture — thanks to Trapilo’s patellar tendon tear — for another season.