Skip to main content
Bear Digest

Bears GM Ryan Poles Offers Chilling Comment on Darnell Wright Deal

The All-Pro tackle awaits his contract extension and all seemed on track until suddenly their GM suggested something Tuesday a bit less positive.
Gene Chamberlain|
Darnell Wright celebrates the game-tying extra point by kicker Cairo Santos against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional playhoffs.
Darnell Wright celebrates the game-tying extra point by kicker Cairo Santos against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional playhoffs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Chicago Bears

It's never safe to assume anything, especially when it comes to contracts and negotiations in the NFL.

An offseason when everyone seemed to assume Bears right tackle Darnell Wright was a lock to get his contract extension prior to his fourth season didn't come to a screeching halt Tuesday as camp opened, but it sure seemed to slow to a crawl.

GM Ryan Poles was asked about Wright getting his contract extension soon and put out a ray of hope, followed by what had to be a frightening thought for Bears fans after the year Wright had in 2025. It seemed a somewhat awkward response, or maybe some negotiating gamesmanship, or possibly even a threat?

“I think there’s a window to get a deal done and then at some point we’ve got to go play football," Poles said.

This sounds like a scenario where the Bears and Wright's agent reach or have reached an impasse, and would go on to the season without a deal. This would not be ideal. The Bears have seen such scenarios go south in the past. The Roquan Smith debacle of 2022 is the real instance of this since Poles became the GM.

"So we’ll figure that part out, but obviously I think I’ve said it before — Darnell’s a guy we want here long term," Poles said. "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."

Ironically, or perhaps not, it comes at a time when the player the Bears passed over to take Wright got paid a ridiculous amount of money. The Eagles have paid defensive tackle Jalen Carter a four-year, $152 million contract according to figures from The Athletic. Wright was taken 10th by the Bears after they traded out of the ninth pick with the Eagles in 2023.

A new tone from Ryan Poles

This kind of talk from Poles is a real departure from the overly optimistic talk of the offseason, but not entirely unpredictable. While in talks, the GM can't be buttering up the player too much. He's an adversary, or at least the agent is.

The Bears are really not under a pressing deadline in terms of a deal because they have picked up Wright's fifth-year option and he is entering Year 4. However, it's more appropriate for the talented, successful draft picks to get their extensions done, or at least worked out to near completion, prior to the end of their fourth season.

Ideally, it would be sometime prior to the start of the fourth season.

Wright was a second-team All-Pro and there's no doubt he deserves a huge raise. How huge?

Penei Sewell has the biggest contract for right tackles, although he is expected now to move over to left tackle. But Sewell's extension was at right tackle. Still, it is an old one, at an old rate. That rate was $112 million with $43 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac.com. Minnesota gave Brian O'Neill an extension that takes effect this year and it was $96 million for four years. O'Neill has made two Pro Bowls and Wright hasn't made any, but Wright made second-team All-Pro in his third year and O'Neill hasn't made All-Pro.

Luke Goedeke of Tampa Bay has a deal in place since last year for four and $90 million.

Considering the expanding salary cap and how cash for players keeps going up, it would seem reasonable for Wright to get paid above most tackles except for Sewell, who is a perennial All-Pro.

It's just the way negotiations go

Poles can't complain about Wright's effectiveness, but now it's apparent the Bears GM is in negotiating mode because he's tempering all the compliments with the ways he can see his tackle getting better.


“I think it’s just consistency," Poles said. "We all see the flashes and the stacks of plays that he puts together and it’s really impressive.

"Can he be consistent day-in and day-out? That’s the key part for Darnell.”

Wright was 14th among all tackles according to Pro Football Focus last year, and sixth at blocking the run. If he wants to, Poles can toss in all the penalties. Wright has 30 in three seasons according to Pro Football Reference.

If he's trying to cut down that number down in six weeks but is still without a contract extension, there could be a lot of panic setting in among Bears fans.

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News