Darnell Wright continues to be lone bright spot among Chicago Bears offensive linemen

There’s been a bizarre narrative around Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright this season. Take a spin through Bears media and you’ll find a theme that suggests Wright isn’t having a great season. I can’t quite figure out why, the tape tells a different story.

Wright currently ranks 18th among all offensive tackles with a 77.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, including the 11th-best run-blocking grade, 80.0.

That means Wright is nearing the top 25% of offensive tackles in the NFL. He’s playing a premium position at a premium level, and no one seems to be paying attention.

Wright’s dominance has been on the rise over the last three weeks. He ranks fourth among all offensive tackles with an 87.3 PFF grade. But with the Chicago Bears in the middle of a seven-game losing streak, his high-level play has been overshadowed by the team’s two months of dysfunction.

Darnell Wright among OTs over the past three weeks:

87.3 PFF grade (4th)
83.9 pass-blocking grade (7th)
84.8 run-blocking grade (6th)
112 pass-blocking snaps
0 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/6SXNpf0buW

— PFF CHI Bears (@PFF_Bears) December 11, 2024

Darnell Wright’s reputation is being tarnished by the performance of his linemates, too. Caleb Williams has already been sacked more times in one season than any Bears quarterback in team history, and there are still four games left. Whenever a stat like that spawns, the first players to be blamed are the offensive linemen. And unless the film is studied, a starter like Wright will be lumped in with the overall bad performance of the group.

READ: Should the Chicago Bears hire Mike Vrabel as head coach?

The Bears are expected to invest heavily in the offensive line this offseason via free agency and the NFL Draft. Offensive tackle will rank high on that honey-do list, but it won’t be the right side. Instead, left tackle Braxton Jones appears to have reached his ceiling as a blindside protector. He’s been OK, but he really struggles against power rushers, and Williams’ pocket suffers because of it.

Every snap #Bears Darnell Wright played against the 49ers last week. pic.twitter.com/nPBouGxAbJ

— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) December 11, 2024

If Chicago is in a position to snag one of the top left tackle prospects in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, smart money says they will. All three interior positions are in play, too.

As for Darnell Wright? He’s one of a handful of cornerstone players on this Bears roster, and as the offensive line improves, his play will get the recognition it deserves.