Darnell Wright Turns Heads at Bears Minicamp, Sparks Role Speculation

Mini camp is officially in the books for the Chicago Bears, and while head coach Ben Johnson made it clear the team is ‘not ready for primetime,’ he emphasized that there’s plenty of good to build on. The early stages of this new regime have been all about installing structure, energy, and evaluation. And on the final day of practice, a surprising highlight came from one of the team’s biggest men in the trenches.

In a clip posted by Bears insider Zach Pearson, offensive lineman Darnell Wright stole the spotlight with an unexpected show of athleticism. ‘#Bears practice in the books today. Some fun to start practice with OL and QBs catching passes.

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Here’s Darnell Wright making a nice one handed catch,’ Pearson wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The video shows Wright twisting and extending to make a spectacular one-handed grab, setting off laughs and applause from teammates.

Following practice, Johnson explained the reasoning behind the drill: ‘I let those guys know, we only do this once a year and it’s an evaluation. We’ll circle back in training camp and in the season to see who we can trust to catch the ball or throw the ball. I think there’s a couple guys on the O-line that stood out.’

Darnell Wright

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Wright, who started 16 games at right tackle last season, has become a cornerstone on the Bears' line. Johnson, who famously dialed up creative formations in Detroit—such as using tackle-eligible plays and misdirection—may already have ideas forming. 

While linemen like Wright aren’t often targeted in games, the mere threat could force opposing defenses to prepare for something out of the ordinary. And with Wright’s athleticism, it’s not hard to imagine a trick play or two waiting in the wings.