Jets May Have Fooled Entire League With Nahshon Wright Signing

Following a 2025 season that ended without a single interception from its second-worst scoring defense (29.6 PPG), the New York Jets have already made numerous offseason additions to address that side of the ball.

Demario Davis, defensive tackle David Onyemata, defensive end Joseph Ossai, edge Kingsley Enagbare and safety Dane Belton are just some of the notable moves the Jets made, but one player, in particular, could turn out to be a steal if he backs up an impressive 2025 campaign.

That would be cornerback Nahshon Wright, who spent the 2025 season with the Chicago Bears and signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract ($3.5 million fully guaranteed) with the Jets back in March. As someone who was traded by the Dallas Cowboys and cut twice by the Minnesota Vikings, many viewed Wright as a one-year wonder after a five-interception season with the Bears.

While there is no doubt that Wright will have to prove himself all over again and show that the 2025 season was no fluke, he could end up being a steal. After all, the Jets needed to address their secondary concerns, and Wright gives them a low-risk addition with a lot of upside following last season.

Nahshon Wright could prove a lot of doubters wrong

Sure, Wright only had 37 total tackles and one interception combined during his three-year stint with the Cowboys from 2021-23. However, he was presented with another opportunity in the Windy City and he took full advantage, recording 80 total tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to go along with the five interceptions.

In fact, as ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini noted, Wright is just the fourth player in the last 10 years with at least five picks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in a season.

You also have to take into account that Wright was primarily a depth piece before starting a career-high 16 games on the boundary for the Bears last season. That alone makes his takeaways stand out even more and highlights why the Jets took a gamble on the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder to help turn their secondary around.

While he gave up 816 yards on 60 completions (98 targets) and six TDs in pass coverage, there are some positives to take away from Wright's breakout season. According to Pro Football Focus, he had an overall grade of 65.1, which ranked 48th out of 114 qualified CBs in the league. Although his coverage grade (63.4) was just 54th at the position, his run defense grade (72.9) ranked a much more encouraging 23rd and showed the potential that he can offer in Gang Green.

It is also important to keep in mind that star CB Sauce Gardner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts during the 2025 season, leaving a huge hole to fill in the secondary. The Jets traded for veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier in the offseason, but Wright's five interceptions were tied for second in the league last season and suggests he is more than capable of proving everyone wrong after signing the bargain contract.

The bottom line is that Wright must improve his coverage, especially against AFC East newcomer A.J. Brown, whom he struggled against in Week 13 last season. In that game, Wright allowed Brown to catch all four of his targets for 69 yards, one TD and two first downs.

While that certainly raises some questions regarding how well Wright can hold his own against stiffer competition, his 2025 season proves that the playmaking ability is there for the Jets to feel comfortable taking the risk.

This is a Jets team that desperately needs some improved results from its secondary going into the 2026 season. There is not much to go off of, but if Wright's 2025 performance was not a one-off and he can be the ballhawk the Jets are looking for, this could be a signing that fools the entire league and gives this secondary something it has been missing lately.

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