The moment could arrive in the next few days when the Bears have tough decisions to make in their secondary based on the standout play of backups. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson could return to face Philadelphia Friday and so could slot cornerback Kyler Gordon.Johnson’s backup, Nahshon Wright, not only has played gradually better throughout the season but now he is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with teammate Kevin Byard at five. However, even though Jaylon Johnson is a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, they’re not going to keep him sidelined. They have a similar situation at slot cornerback with Gordon returning but C.J. Gardner-Johnson performing like a starter.”That's the fun part isn't it?” Ben Johnson said Monday morning. You can't just stick the NFL interceptions leader in a role on special teams and be done with it. It doesn't make much sense.Wright had started only three games before this season as he bounced around from Dallas to Minnesota and now the Bears over five seasons. He wasn’t even an active player in a game last year but now he has started Bears games and it appears they have something in him they didn’t plan on as he’s giving up only 59.3% completions and a 77.7 passer rating when targeted per Stathead/Pro Football Reference. Pro Football Focus gave him a 31.9 passer rating against in Sunday's win, best by any Bears defender.Wright has one more interception than Johnson has ever made in a season and his passer rating against is better than all but one of Johnson's best in a season.Most interceptions in the NFL this season:🐻 Nahshon Wright - 5🐻 Kevin Byard - 5pic.twitter.com/V5yESA4CSX— PFF (@PFF) November 23, 2025“He's done a phenomenal job and I think he has certainly earned playing time," Ben Johnson said.How this could work can depend on the health of the other starting cornerback. Tyrique Stevenson has been working through a hip injury and on Sunday re-injured it. Could it be Wright has opportunity knock on the other side? Or would they move Johnson to the defense’s left side instead of the right side where he has traditionally played. Johnson also has always been a shadow for an opponent’s top receiver, and they could tak this into account. Would they want him doing this again after recovering quickly from surgery for a groin injury?Former #Cowboys CB Nahshon Wright now has FIVE interceptions on the year.He’s a totally different player. Wow.pic.twitter.com/cIv4y51ok0— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) November 23, 2025Whatever gets decided, the Bears cannot complain about how all of their subs have performed, and particularly Wright, known to all of them as Shonny.His leaping interception in front of DK Metcalf on the Steelers’ first pass seemed to validate what the coaches have been saying about him.“Shonny’s interception was one of the most athletic plays and phenomenal catches I’ve seen in a long time,” Johnson said. “So, and, not to mention, I think what’s undersung about what Shonny’s doing right now is how much he’s influencing the run game as well. I’m almost a Nahshon Wright hype page at this point, but look at him locking up the Steelers #1 WR and beating him to the break. If Brisker didn’t break it up that was pick #2 on the game and probably going for 6. pic.twitter.com/XEDBxO51ZQ— Trey² (@PeanutChillman) November 24, 2025“He’s coming up, he’s tackling the ball carrier. You know, they’re throwing bubble screens and he’s knifing through and making a play there. So he’s really playing sound football, run game and pass game included.Pro Football Focus’ run grades disagree, but then again what value those have seems in question. They have him graded as their fourth-worst run stopper among regular players, but the three worse than him are defensive tackles Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett. You go with the hot hand. Wright seems to be getting better every week… whereas Stevenson seemed to have tapered offStill, having all 3 will be BIG!— Jake (@Jake_B30) November 24, 2025They have allowed only 123 rushing yards a game over the last seven and 55 of Pittsburgh’s yards came on a trick fake tush push. So don’t expect Wright to quickly fade away. The Bears can afford to get Stevenson healthy now, although it’s uncertain if Wright is capable of being as effective on the defense’s left side as he has been on the right side. Either way, having both Wright and Gardner-Johnson who could rotate in or fill hybrid type roles is a huge asset for a coaching staff that has been forced to deal with manpower shortages on defense throughout the entire season..@mullyhaugh believe the Steelers' became extra conservative on offense after the Bears forced an interception on Mason Rudolph's first pass downfield."Nahshon Wright has been as impactful as any defensive back they have," says @DavidHaugh. pic.twitter.com/aE1qx0YJ1a— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) November 24, 2025Bears report card for win over Steelers reflects their altered stateMontez Sweat's pass rush stands out amid Bears good, bad and uglyOne area where Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson is already one of the league's bestBears bench mob pulls it together with key contributions in winX: BearsOnSI