Lane Johnson Retirement Leaves Bears' Darnell Wright as NFL's Best Right Tackle

Five-time All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson was a surprising healthy scratch from the Philadelphia Eagles' gameday roster last Sunday, and now we know why. In a social media post on Tuesday, Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL after nearly 14 seasons. A spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame doubtlessly awaits this NFL legend, but his retirement leaves one burning question unanswered: who is now the best right tackle in the NFL?

There are surprisingly few players with a legitimate claim to the right tackle throne, especially since the Penei Sewell moved to left tackle in Detroit this offseason. The Chargers' Joe Alt has been excellent since he was selected fifth overall in the 2024 NFL draft, but injuries continue to bedevil him. Both he and Ladd McConkey suffered injuries against the Seahawks in Week 4 and may miss some time.

There are plenty of solid, ascending right tackles, such as Amarius Mims and Armand Membou, and reliable veterans like Brian O'Neill. But when looking across the changed landscape of right tackles in the NFL, only one name appears as the undisputed king: the Chicago Bears' Darnell Wright.

Making the case for Darnell Wright

The last calendar year has been a life-changing time for Wright. At the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season, Wright earned his first All-Pro honors, finishing second only to Penei Sewell, who took first-team honors. He later appeared in ESPN's best offensive tackles list at No. 6, the highest ranking of any right tackle. Then, at the start of training camp, Wright signed a record-setting contract extension with the Bears.

If anyone expected Wright to rest on his laurels in 2026, he's only proven them wrong. Through four weeks, Wright has earned an elite 97.1 impact grade from Pro Football Network, making him the highest graded offensive lineman in the NFL. The next best players in PFN's ranking are both two-time All-Pros: guard Quinn Meinerz (88.8) and left tackle Garrett Bolles (88.4).

Wright is an absolute road grader in the run game, earning a 94.1 run protection grade from PFN, also the best mark in the league. His 86.0 pass protection grade comes in second only behind Bolles' 88.1 grade. He's not been called for a single penalty yet and he's only allowed four pressures in 163 passing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

There's a long way yet to go in the season, but Wright feels like a top candidate to win the Protector of the Year award just one year after Joe Thuney was the inaugural winner.

The Bottom Line

The Bears selected Wright with the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and he's arguably been GM Ryan Poles' best draft selection yet. Many Bears fans bemoaned the missed opportunity to draft defensive tackle Jalen Carter, but Wright's career arc through three-plus seasons should put any such complaints to bed. He started off strong even as a rookie and has only gotten better, missing just two out of 55 games.

Now, with Lane Johnson retired and a Protector of the Year award firmly within sight, there can be no denying the truth. Darnell Wright is the best right tackle in the NFL, perhaps even the best player at either tackle position, and I don't think he'll be relinquishing his title any time soon.

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