Nahshon Wright Will Have to Prove Himself All Over Again With Jets

Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

After finishing last season with zero interceptions, the New York Jets had to sign a cornerback in free agency in March. Now, the Jets didn’t spend a huge amount while CBs such as Jaylen Watson, Alontae Taylor, and Cordale Flott all received three-year contracts in the $45-58 million range.

New York could’ve gone that route, and no one would’ve blamed them, given the enormous amount of cap space it possessed. Instead, the Jets went after Pro Bowl cornerback Nahshon Wright on a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

Wright was projected to get a huge, big-money deal like the cornerbacks we mentioned earlier, but for some reason, that never happened. And for the Jets, that’s great, as they get a ballhawk cornerback, who will be looking to prove that his 2025 season wasn’t a fluke.

Nahson Wright has chance to show that 2025 season with the Bears wasn’t a fluke

Last season, Wright went from a back-end depth guy to starting 16 games on the boundary (a career high) for the Bears. The 6-foot-4, 199-pound cornerback had his ups and downs in pass coverage, allowing a ridiculous 816 yards on 60 completions (98 targets) and six TDs.

However, Wright had an 86.8 passer rating when targeted. At the same time, Pro Football Focus wasn’t too forgiving toward the Pro Bowler as he recorded a 63.4 coverage grade (54th among 114 qualified cornerbacks), but he didn’t shy away in run defense with a 72.9 grade (23rd at the position).

While those advanced stats don’t look great, Wright was credited with 11 pass deflections, five interceptions (one returned for a TD), three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. And if you’re the Jets, that’s what you should care about at the end of the day: takeaways.

If Wright can carry that over to Aaron Glenn’s unit, they’ll be much better with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Andre Cisco playing behind him at safety. However, Wright likely won’t be handed the job. 

The Jets also have former third-round pick Azareye’h Thomas, who is entering his second year after a solid rookie season in 2025. Thomas had 22 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, and two tackles for loss in 12 games (five starts).

The 6-foot-1, 197-pound cornerback saw his season cut short by a season-ending shoulder injury. But before going on the shelf, opposing quarterbacks did not fare well against Thomas, completing 48.1 percent of their passes. Thomas gave up one touchdown and had an 83.9 passer rating allowed.

Heading into this season, Jets fans are high on Thomas and are excited to see what he can do in Year 2. Given what took place on that side of the ball last season, there should be a lot of battles across the board. Wright has a shot to make a name for himself and show not only the Jets, but the rest of the NFL that he deserves a longer deal next offseason.