Nahshon Wright is easily the best story of the 2025 season. Few people knew his name when the Chicago Bears signed him in the offseason. All they remembered was he was a former 3rd round pick of the Dallas Cowboys who hadn't done much during his time with them. Expectations were Wright would compete in training camp for one of the last spots on the cornerback depth chart. His lack of special teams prowess didn't help his odds. However, fate quickly intervened on his behalf.
Injuries struck the Bears' cornerbacks almost right away. Jaylon Johnson suffered groin and core injuries that knocked him out until late November. Terell Smith tore his ACL. Kyler Gordon kept battling soft tissue injuries. In a short span of time, Wright went from fringe roster option to starter. Since then, he's collected five interceptions, producing a season nobody on the planet saw coming.
While most people are happy for him, the same can't be said for Minnesota Vikings fans. Wright's ascent has them livid, but not for the reason you think. Judd Zulgad of SKOR North explained why.
Nahshon Wright was right there for the taking.
Minnesota traded for the cornerback in August of 2024. He would remain with the team in various capacities all the way until April of this year. That is eight full months of the Vikings coaching staff having him in the building, seeing what he could do. In that time, they reasoned Nahshon Wright wasn't worth the trouble and cut him. Before the year is even over, the cornerback has five interceptions, two of them coming at the Vikings' expense. That reality has left fans wondering if the team's coaches can recognize young talent. Based on what the Bears have accomplished, they have concerns.
All of it serves as a reminder of how much things have changed in the past year. Chicago never used to be good at stuff like this. They were the organization that took good players and made them ordinary. Suddenly, they've taken in castoffs and turned them into Pro Bowlers. Wright will cash in this spring for a well-deserved payday. The fact that Minnesota, a supposedly first-class organization, was unable to accomplish that is a little extra salt in the wound.
