The Chicago Bears don't reach this point with a shot at the playoffs without several of their players having great seasons. Kevin Byard is rejuvenated and producing one of his best years at safety. Cornerback Nahshon Wright is the surprise of the season by far. Montez Sweat has regained the form he showed two years ago. Caleb Williams has progressed. The 2025 rookie class, led by Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai, is flourishing. However, the biggest story is unquestionably the offensive line. Former All-Pro tackle Terron Armstead can see it like everybody else.
Most of the talk hovers around their new interior trio. Joe Thuney remains a stud at left guard after the Bears got him from Kansas City. Right guard Jonah Jackson has rediscovered the formidable form he had in Detroit. Lastly, center Drew Dalman is having the best season of his career after signing as a free agent. However, Armstead believes the focal point of this entire ascent up front starts with Darnell Wright. The Bears' right tackle has transformed into something special this year, and it may only be the beginning.
Terron Armstead knows what he's talking about.
For one, he was one of the best left tackles in football for a significant stretch of the 2010s. At his best, he was impossible to beat as a member of the New Orleans Saints. For another, he knows offensive line coach Dan Roushar. He was the one who developed Terron Armstead into a star. The 65-year-old is one of the best in the business. If Wright does what Roushar says, he will become a great player. We're already seeing the signs of it happening. He has only allowed 17 pressures this season, including more than two in a game once. That was against Micah Parsons.
If that weren't enough, Wright is almost among the highest-graded run blockers in the NFL. He is a complete football player. Easily the most capable the Bears have had since Kyle Long. It isn't a surprise that head coach Ben Johnson has crafted the offense around him. He runs it behind him often and doesn't feel the need to give much help in protection, save for the toughest matchups. Armstead knows what he sees. If this is what Wright looks like now, it will hit a new level once he masters the offense.
