Column: How the Chicago Bears did right by Darnell Wright this offseason, and it could pay dividends

A lot was expected from Darnell Wright in his first two years in the NFL.

The Chicago Bears selected him tenth overall in 2023, and he immediately factored into the starting lineup. Ever since, he’s arguably been the team’s best offensive lineman.

What’s next for Wright in Year 3? A move to left tackle could be in the works. Wright was asked about that on Tuesday.

"Well, they said I was going to quarterback," Wright said, eliciting plenty of laughter from reporters. "We're really just training right now, just putting the groundwork in."

Jokes aside, Wright was entering the 2025 season as one of the longest-tenured linemen on the team. Then, the Bears made moves that shaped the future of their line.

The Bears traded for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, then signed Drew Dalman. Not only does this immediately help the offensive line in Chicago, but it immediately helps Wright. It takes pressure off his shoulders to be a veteran leader on the offensive line and allows him to just sit back, learn and improve as one of the best young offensive linemen the Bears have had in years.

"I don't really know how the veteran thing works," Wright said. "If I can share anything that helps the team, obviously I would."

Wright has seen his fair share in two years.

He’s gone up against Myles Garrett and other Pro Bowl defensive linemen. He’s gone through a coaching change. He’s seen the Bears’ offensive line shuffle around in multiple years, but no more so than this offseason.

It wouldn’t have been fair to expect him to be one of the biggest voices in the offensive line room when there’s still so much he could learn. The Bears did right by him in getting Thuney and Jackson to play at guard.

Thuney, who has excelled at guard and at tackle, should be that sounding board for Wright heading into his third season as a pro.

Just being adjacent to Thuney will make Wright better. Wright knows this and was blunt about the amount of knowledge he can gain from Thuney.

"It's just the questions that I don't even know to ask," Wright said. "I'll probably just soak up being around him. That’s probably the biggest thing."

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Development should be the name of the game for Wright this year.

First-year head coach Ben Johnson said he sees plenty of comparisons between Wright and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, who was the best offensive linemen for Johnson in Detroit. Under Johnson’s watch, Sewell blossomed into one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He also earned the chance to get into the Lions’ playbook. Johnson called a passing play for Sewell last season on Thanksgiving against the Bears.

That’s where the quarterback jokes came from, and Wright was a good sport for humoring that part.

"I don't have a really good arm," Wright said with a smile.

Wright does have talent, though.

He was the 16th highest-grading offensive tackle in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a very good pass blocker and one of the best run blockers. Wright said he communicates with offensive line coach Dan Roushar frequently and Roushar has instilled the mentality into Wright where he’s not afraid to fail. That could pay off as the Bears are two weeks away from the 2025 NFL Draft, where they can focus on development even more.

‘Now is the time through the draft where you get to go and draft guys, the best players and then get guys to be able to develop them with; People like Joe and Darnell and all these different guys," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. "You get to kind of pick your poison and develop them."

The Bears did exactly that.

There are plenty of pieces that benefit from the Bears’ hiring of Johnson. Wright might be the biggest benefactor of them all. Getting Thuney, Dalman and Jackson will benefit Wright’s development in so many ways. It also takes some pressure off him to be a veteran and allows him to just learn. 

That’s big for Wright, who’s not the center of attention. He can just put his head down and prepare for his third season as a Bear.

He can keep that all to himself as the offseason work outs approach.

"I have a sense," Wright said. "I am not going to tell anyone though."