The Chicago Bears entered last season with plenty of questions.

Could new head coach Ben Johnson command the locker room and bring an explosive offense to Chicago? Could quarterback Caleb Williams take a big step under Johnson? What would the defense look like?

Maybe lost in the shuffle of all the major questions was how Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ first-round draft selection Darnell Wright would develop in his third season. The right tackle showed promise at times during his first two seasons. But the Bears wanted to see whether the former No. 10 overall pick could take a big step.

Wright did just that.

After a slow start and an early injury to his right elbow, Wright took a major step last season. He developed into one of the better right tackles in the NFL and became a major factor in the Bears’ run game success. Wright also earned his first second-team All-Pro honors.

“It was steady through the season,” Poles said of Wright’s growth. “I think that’s one thing we’ve challenged him on is the consistency part. I think there’s some ups and downs every once in a while, but when he strings it together, it’s really, really good, and it’s going to help us win football games.

“I love watching him come off the ball and move people. And when he has this confidence and belief in himself that he’s the best on the field, I think he can be one of the best to do it.”

Poles will have to make a decision on Wright. He’ll have until May 1 to pick up Wright’s fifth-year option, which Poles almost certainly will do.

But Poles will need to decide whether he wants to work out a contract extension with Wright this offseason. Poles has said this offseason’s moves reflect the understanding that the Bears will need to extend their young talent in the coming years, including Wright.

The quicker Poles does so, might be the better. Contract values continue to escalate as the salary cap goes up. A high-end contract this offseason might quickly fall by this time next year.

So what could a contract extension for Wright look like this year? Here’s a look at some of the top right tackle contracts and where Wright could land.

Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay, 5-year, $140.63 million extension

The first numbers we’ll look at come with a caveat.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed tackle Tristan Wirfs to a five-year, $140.63 million contract extension in August 2024. which made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history at the time. He earns an average of $28.125 million per season.

Tampa Bay rewarded Wirfs with the huge payday after he earned first-team and second-team All-Pro honors once and three Pro Bowl nods. Wrifs went on to be named first-team All-Pro in 2024 and added two more Pro Bowl berths after the extension.

But Wirfs earned a bigger payday as he shifted to left tackle full-time in 2023. His average salary per year ranks third amongst left tackles.

Wright would likely want to use both the total value, maybe with one fewer year, and the yearly average as numbers he’d like to surpass, given his ceiling. It will be interesting to see whether the Bears agree after one All-Pro season or whether they’ll try to negotiate lower, given he’s likely set to stay at right tackle, unlike Wirfs.

Penei Sewell, Detroit, 4-year, $112 million extension

Penei Sewell has been the gold standard at right tackle since the Detroit Lions selected him No. 7 overall in 2021. He’s been named first-team All-Pro three times over five seasons and earned four Pro Bowl nods.

Detroit gave him an extension to become the highest-paid right tackle in the league. The Lions signed Sewell to a four-year, $112 million extension in April 2024 that will keep him with the team through 2029. He makes an average of $28 million per season.

It’s hard to say whether Wright could earn those numbers after just his first All-Pro honor and not having been named to a Pro Bowl yet. But if Wright believes he can get a contract like that or even better with another big season, Wright could decide to play this season without an extension to earn himself more money.

Lane Johnson, Philadelphia, 1-year, $25 million extension

Lane Johnson has been a dependable presence for the Philadelphia Eagles on the right side of the offensive line since his rookie season in 2013. He helped Philadelphia win two Super Bowls as he developed into one of the better right tackles.

Lane Johnson earned two first-team All-Pro and three second-team All-Pro honors during his career and has earned top dollar. The Eagles signed him to a one-year, $25 million extension in March 2025 that will keep Lane Johnson with the team through 2027. He earns an average of $25 million per season.

This could be about where Wright lands on a per-year average if he chooses to do an extension. Lane Johnson earned three second-team All-Pro honors and one first-team from 2021 to 2024 before an injury limited him to 10 games last season. Given Wright’s potential, he could earn in the $26-27.5 million range.

Tytus Howard, Cleveland, 3-year, $63 million extension

The Cleveland Browns needed an offensive line renovation this offseason and made some moves to do that. The Browns traded a fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for Tytus Howard, who signed a three-year, $63 million extension that will earn him $22.5 million.

Wright should clear both the total extension and yearly average easily with his own extension this offseason. Howard hasn’t earned an All-Pro or Pro Bowl honor in his seven-year career. That should come close to a floor in any potential negotiations, if that.

Tyler Linderbaum, Las Vegas, 3-year, $81 million contract

We finish our comparison by looking at a center signing this offseason instead of right tackle.

The Las Vegas Raiders signed Tyler Linderbaum to a three-year, $81 contract earlier this month to make him the highest-paid center in league history. He’s set to make $27 million per season, compared to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey, who has the second-highest yearly average at $18 million.

It’s worth pointing out this deal as Linderbaum reset the center market. At 25, Linderbaum is a bright young talent who earned three Pro Bowls but no All-Pros.

Wright, who is a year younger than Linderbaum, might have the same idea of resetting the right tackle market. It’s up to the Bears to decide whether they want to help him do it this offseason or wait another year to do it.