Coming off a breakout 2025 season, pending free agent cornerback Nahshon Wright is in a far better position than he was when he reached the open market a year ago. In one of last offseason’s best buy-low pickups, the Bears added Wright on a one-year, $1.1MM deal in April. Bringing him back in 2026 will cost far more.
Discussing his future with SiriusXM NFL Radio, the 27-year-old Wright said he “would love to be back in Chicago.” Wright revealed that there has been contact between his agent and the team, but he hasn’t heard any specific “contract details.”
Wright was a 2021 Cowboys third-round pick who started in just three of 32 games in Dallas over his first three seasons. The Cowboys cut the cord on the Oregon State product when they traded him for Vikings corner Andrew Booth in August 2024. The change of scenery didn’t work out for either player.
In Wright case, he spent most of the year on the Vikings’ practice squad. In the lone game he played, all 15 of his snaps came on special teams. The Vikings re-signed Wright to a reserve/futures deal in January 2025, but they released him April 7.
A day after Minnesota waved goodbye to Wright, he landed on his feet with NFC North rival Chicago. The 27-year-old ended up an integral part of the Bears’ meteoric rise in 2025, and he earned his first Pro Bowl trip in the process.
Wright, who caused just one takeaway in his first four years in the NFL, led the league with eight last season. In 17 games and 16 starts, Wright finished with 80 tackles, 11 passes defensed, five interceptions (including a 74-yard pick-six), three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. The former bench player was on the field for 97% of defensive snaps for an NFC North-winning team that advanced to the divisional round.
One of the game’s tallest cornerbacks, the 6-foot-4 Wright is now on his way to the market among the top options at his position. If the Bears don’t re-sign Wright before the legal tampering period begins March 9, there should be no shortage of interest from other clubs in need of a starting outside corner. Because of his limited track record, it may be a “buyer beware” situation. But that’s not going to stop some team from giving Wright a significant raise in the next few weeks.