The Bears got a much better read on Darnell Wright on Wednesday morning than they did 24 hours earlier.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported that the Chicago right tackle is “fine” after leaving Tuesday’s practice with what appeared to be a right elbow injury. That came after a tense scene during red-zone work, when Wright exited after just two plays and Theo Benedet took over with the first-team line.
Cronin wrote on X: “I’m told that Darnell Wright is ‘fine’ after leaving practice early yesterday with what looked like an elbow injury. We’ll see if he’s out there today.”
The scare was easy to connect to the bigger picture because the elbow in question looked like the same one Wright injured last season. Multiple reporters on site, including those cited by NBC Sports and ClutchPoints, identified it that way, and Bears Wire reported that Wright flexed and moved the arm while trainer Andre Tucker checked him out. He stayed on the sideline briefly before walking back into the building.
That history is what made the moment feel so much heavier. Wright tore the ulnar collateral ligament in that elbow in 2025 and played most of the year with a brace instead of having surgery. Even with that issue, he started 16 games, allowed three sacks and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
Chicago has every reason to protect him now. The Bears just gave Wright a four-year, $116 million extension with $93 million guaranteed, a deal first reported by The Athletic and later confirmed by the club. At $29 million per year, he became the highest-paid right tackle in the league at the time of the agreement, according to NFL.com.
The timing of Tuesday’s exit also mattered because the Bears’ line is already dealing with other moving parts. Head coach Ben Johnson has said the offense leans on Wright on the right side, while center Drew Dalman retired and Ozzy Trapilo is working back from a major knee injury suffered in the playoffs, as noted by the Chicago Sun-Times. Benedet’s snap count on Tuesday looked like insurance, not a setup the staff wants to rely on when the games count.
Wright has started 49 games in three seasons and missed only two, which is a big reason general manager Ryan Poles moved now instead of waiting. Even a brief absence would matter for a team opening the regular season Sept. 13 at Carolina.
For now, the encouraging part is simple: the Wednesday word is that Wright is “fine.” The next question is whether he’s actually on the field for the Bears’ light 11 a.m. practice before the team flies to Tennessee for Thursday’s joint session with the Titans. Saturday’s preseason finale is also on deck at Nissan Stadium.
Until someone confirms he’s working, the update stays partial. But after Tuesday’s alarm, Chicago at least got the kind of morning it wanted.
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