The Chicago Bears signed cornerback Nahshon Wright to a one-year, low-cost deal in April of 2025.
Less than a year later, Wright has turned himself into one of the more talked-about defensive free agents set to hit the market. He played 2025 on a one-year deal worth $1.1 million, but after a breakout year that culminated in a Pro Bowl nod, that bargain price tag has gone up, big time.
CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles thinks Wright could likely land back with the Bears — but he also named the rival Minnesota Vikings as a top suitor for the veteran cornerback.
Who will land him? Let’s break it all down.
Wright Broke Out in a Big Way With the Bears in 2025
CBS Sports predicts Nahshon Wright will head back to Minnesota to sign with the Vikings after his breakout season with the Chicago Bears.
Wright, 27, finished his 2025 campaign with 80 total tackles (three for loss), 11 passes defended, five interceptions, a defensive touchdown, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Put simply, he made some game-changing plays for Chicago last season.
As a result, Wright was named to the NFC Pro Bowl, which is a pretty significant milestone for a player who had mostly been a backup his entire career before he landed with the Bears.
Money will likely play the biggest role in where he lands, though.
Over the Cap listed his valuation a little over $10.3 million per year, while Spotrac listed Wright with a valuation much higher at $16.7 million per year. A reasonable projection is a multiyear deal in the range of three or four years, roughly $33 million to $50 million total, with meaningful guarantees in the first two seasons.
Is that something the Bears will consider with big contracts for Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon already on the books? Maybe — but it feels unlikely. So does Wright landing in Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings Named Potential Suitor for Bears CB Nahshon Wright in 2026 Free Agency
Wright spent time in Minnesota before he landed in Chicago, but he was used sparingly. If the Vikings see him as a clear starter now, they could try to re-sign him, but they already let him walk once. Why would they sign him again? Plus, Wright has suggested he’d prefer to stay in Chicago due to the team’s strong belief in him.
“We’ve talked about it, and I told them that I would like to be here, obviously, due to the fact that they believed in me,” Wright said in a December 12 appearance on 670 The Score’s “Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show.”
“And I have (DBs coach) Al (Harris) here, DA, who’s a great defensive coordinator, Ben (Johnson), who’s doing a great job leading his team. So, yeah, me and my agent have definitely had dialogue about it, but we haven’t heard anything yet.”
Will there be another team that values what he could bring to their secondary enough to give him big money? We’ll see. But it probably won’t be the Bears — or the Vikings.
NFC North Rival Named Suitor for Bears CB Nahshon Wright After Breakout Year