Nahshon Wright, Bears
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Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Detroit Lions.
The New York Jets could be adding some quality meat to their secondary this offseason.
Insider Greg Auman of NFL on FOX predicted that the Jets would sign Pro Bowl Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright in free agency.
“Wright, 27, helped himself in 2025 as much as any player, going to the Bears on a league-minimum $1.1 million contract with one interception and three starts in four NFL seasons. He was a ballhawk on one of the NFL’s best takeaway defenses — five interceptions and two forced fumbles, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way. Chicago is over the salary cap right now, and Wright could end up the high-dollar corner in this not-particularly-deep class, drawing $16 million a year or more,” Auman revealed.
A Journeyman That Became a Pro Bowler
The former Laney and Oregon State product entered the league as the No. 99 overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
He spent the first three years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. In August of 2024, he was shipped off in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings in a rare player-for-player swap for cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.
After playing one year for the Purple People Eaters, Wright was dumped during the 2025 offseason. A day later, he signed with the Bears, and the rest is history.
Wright has been in the NFL for five years. He has appeared in 50 games and has made 19 starts. With those opportunities, he has registered six interceptions, 16 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, and 117 total tackles.
Contract Projections for the Talented Cornerback
According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Wright could command a three-year $50 million contract in free agency. That $16.7 million annual salary would place him No. 20 among the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
Across his five years in the NFL, he has $5.8 million in career earnings, per Spotrac.
Last year with the Bears, he signed a one-year $1.1 million contract. If he makes what he is projected to on the open market, that would serve as a massive pay raise of epic proportions.
This Would Be a Risky Signing by the Jets or Any NFL Team
Wright is coming off a career season. He set new career highs in every single statistical category.
He started 16 games, collected five interceptions, including a pick-six, 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and totaled 80 tackles.
However, it’s worth noting that before 2025, he had never started more than two games in a single season.
Wright is a one-year wonder. If you want to look at the glass half full, Wright hasn’t had much tread on the tires during his career. Despite being 27 years of age, he will turn 28 in September, he doesn’t have as much wear-and-tear as a player typically his age.
The problem is if you pay him to be what he was in 2025, but the product you receive is more similar to what he provided from 2021 through 2024.
The Jets need more players who can make plays. Wright proved he can create turnovers, and that is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Jets, who struggled in that department last year. Sometimes you have to risk it to get the biscuit.