Chicago Bears Face Tough Call as Nahshon Wright's Market Value Skyrockets

The latest projection on Bears CB Nahshon Wright's market value could make him impossible to bring back to Chicago.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears didn't sign Nahshon Wright in the spring of 2025 expecting to have a major contract decision on their hands. Yet, here they are.

According to a recent market-value breakdown from The Ringer, Wright has positioned himself to cash in after a breakout season that far exceeded his one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Bears. The question that GM Ryan Poles must answer isn't whether Wright has earned a raise, but instead just how much they're willing to pay to bring him back.

Wright will be an urestricted free agent, and his expected contract value is... high.

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"Wright played one of his worst games of the year against San Francisco in Week 17, but his body of work in 2025 has been impressive," The Ringer's Austin Gayle wrote earlier this month. "In his first year as a full-time starter at outside cornerback since he was drafted by the Cowboys in 2021, Wright has amassed five picks, six pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He doesn’t have great recovery speed or short-area quickness, but he makes up for it with his length and instincts. He anticipates routes well and is always a threat to get his hands on the ball at the catch point with his 6-foot-4 frame and 33-inch arms.

"Wright signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Bears in 2025, expecting to compete for a depth spot in the secondary, but Jaylon Johnson’s injuries thrust Wright into a starting role early and he hasn’t given it up. Though he’s a bit of a one-year wonder with limited athleticism, in the right defense, Wright can be a playmaking outside corner. He should get paid starter money in the $12 million–to–$16 million per year range, whether it’s in Chicago or not."

Yep, you read that right: $12 million to $16 million per year!

Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders. Peter Casey-Imagn Images. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

For a Chicago Bears team staring at a reality of no safeties (literally, none) under contract this offseason and hefty investments already in the cornerback room (Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon), spending up to $16 million per season on Wright may simply be a luxury that Poles can't afford.

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Wright proved invaluable in 2025 largely because he stabilized the secondary when injuries struck. And if the Bears view him as a foundational starter, then we could be pleasantly surprised with news that he's returning in 2026 and beyond.

But with greater needs at edge rusher, left tackle, and safety, it's hard to imagine a reality where Nahshon Wright is back in a Chicago Bears uniform.

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