Heading into the 2026 season, the Chicago Bears handed former first-round pick and right tackle Darnell Wright a historic contract extension. At the time, the deal didn’t appear to raise any concerns for the Bears, considering Wright was entering the fourth year of his rookie contract and the team had already picked up his fifth-year option. With this move, the Bears’ 2026 salary cap would not be affected.

However, after the Bears signed Wright to a four-year, $116 million contract extension that includes $93 million in guarantees just last week, making him the highest-paid right tackle, things changed. Wright will receive $42 million guaranteed at the signing of the contract.

Spotrac shows with Wright’s extension, the Bears have forfeited $3.8 million in 2026 cap space, while simultaneously opening up more than $9.6 million in cap space for the 2027 season.

Even before the extension, the Bears were operating with one of the league’s smaller cap cushions entering training camp. Post Wright’s extension, the current cap table shows about $5 million in Top-51 cap space.

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Why this is a problem? There are still months left in free agency. The Bears are in training camp, preparing for the regular season. That means Chicago needs to retain some financial flexibility for potential scenarios, including injuries during preseason, replacing injured players, waiver claims, veteran additions, practice-squad elevations, potential trades, and emergency roster moves during the season.

The Bears aren’t simply losing $3.8 million as what they obtained is the long-term future of the 24-year-old right tackle, who helped quarterback Caleb Williams cut down his sacks during the 2025 season.

“As we continue to build our team and develop our culture, we are excited that Darnell will remain a cornerstone of our franchise as we work toward creating sustained success,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “Darnell has consistently elevated his play and the performance of his teammates since joining our team, and we look forward to his continued growth and leadership for years to come.”

A former first-round pick of the 2023 NFL draft, Darnell Wright has started every game that he has appeared in while missing just two games since his debut. With a four-year deal now in hand, the 25-year-old is all set to complement the Bears’ offensive line for many more years to come.