30 Most Important Bears of 2026: Darnell Wright (No. 4) Alyssa Barbieri and Brendan Sugrue, Bears WireSat, July 25, 2026 at 3:05 PM UTC 0 The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a hyped 2026 season, where they&x27;re looking to build off their impressive first season under head coach Ben Johnson, which included an NFC North title and a wildcard playoff win. While they found success in 2025, it&x27;s a brand new slate for this Bears team following an offseason of change, including the departures of key veterans and the additions of new veterans and exciting rookies.
30 Most Important Bears of 2026: Darnell Wright (No. 4)
Alyssa Barbieri and Brendan Sugrue, Bears WireSat, July 25, 2026 at 3:05 PM UTC
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The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a hyped 2026 season, where they're looking to build off their impressive first season under head coach Ben Johnson, which included an NFC North title and a wild-card playoff win. While they found success in 2025, it's a brand new slate for this Bears team following an offseason of change, including the departures of key veterans and the additions of new veterans and exciting rookies.
The work begins in training camp, where Johnson will put his team through the wringer with the intent to prepare them for the 2026 season. Every day from now right up through training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2026 season. We’ll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to 2026 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
Next up at No. 4 is right tackle Darnell Wright, who has established himself as one of the NFL's best right tackles and has been key to Chicago's offensive success. With Wright in a contract year, it's only a matter of when he'll cash in with an extension.
Background
Position: Right tackle
Age: 24
Experience: 4th season
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2026 cap hit: $6.67 million
2025 recap
The Bears had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL last season, and Wright played a key role in the unit's success. Wright, selected 10th overall by the Bears in 2023, is coming off the best years of his young career earning second-team All-Pro honors while being part of an offensive line that paved the way for the league's third-best rushing attack (142.3 yards per game) and allowed the second-fewest sacks (24) in the regular season. Last season, Wright allowed just three sacks in 1,074 snaps, but he allowed a whopping 11 penalties, which he needs to clean up. The impressive thing is Wright accomplished all of that while dealing with a lingering elbow injury throughout the year.
Importance in 2026
Wright has been an anchor on the offensive line since his rookie season, where he's improved in every season he's played, and he's also garnered respect from his head coach. Ben Johnson noted the offense is "more right handed than left handed and that's with him in mind," which showcases his importance to the offense. Wright continues to bring consistency to the right tackle position, and he's establishing himself as one of the most promising right tackles in the NFL. He's always thrived as a run blocker, but he's elevated his game as a pass blocker, which was key for Caleb Williams' success last season. Wright will once again be key for a Chicago offensive line featuring two new starters at left tackle and center, but he'll by paired for a second season with right guard Jonah Jackson.
Big Question: When will the Bears lock down Wright to a contract extension?
Wright has been one of the most important players on the Bears offense since 2023, and he's most assuredly in the long-term plans as Chicago looks to establish their offense as consistently one of the best in the NFL. The former top-10 pick, whose fifth-year option was exercised earlier this offseason, is expected to be locked down to a long-term contract extension before the start of the 2026 season. While the hope was that a deal would get done before training camp kicks off on July 28, the expectation is that the Bears will get something done before the regular season kicks off. It would be in Chicago's best interest to ink Wright before he has an opportunity to make his next contract even more expensive.
30 Most Important Bears of 2026
#30 - QB Tyson Bagent
#29 - TE Sam Roush
#28 - CB Josh Blackwell
#27 - CB Malik Muhammad
#26 - DE Dayo Odeyingbo
#25 - LB T.J. Edwards
#24 - TE Cole Kmet
#23 - S Dillon Thieneman
#22 - WR Kalif Raymond
#21 - CB Tyrique Stevenson
#20 - K Cairo Santos
#19 - RB Kyle Monangai
#18 - CB Kyler Gordon
#17 - DE Austin Booker
#16 - C Garrett Bradbury
#15 - LB Devin Bush
#14 - DT Gervon Dexter
#13 - RB D'Andre Swift
#12 - LT Braxton Jones
#11 - S Coby Bryant
#10 - CB Jaylon Johnson
#9 - WR Rome Odunze
#8 - WR Luther Burden III
#7 - RG Jonah Jackson
#6 - DT Grady Jarrett
#5 - DE Montez Sweat
#4 - RT Darnell Wright
#3 - Coming 7/26
#2 - Coming 7/27
#1 - Coming 7/28
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 30 Most Important Bears of 2026: Darnell Wright (No. 4)
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: July 25, 2026 at 11:27AM on Source: OPERA MAG
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