Feb. 2, 2026, 7:15 p.m. CT
The NFL world is gearing up for one last week of football with Super Bowl LX kicking off later this week between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, but a busy offseason will follow soon after with many players changing teams in free agency. Two Chicago Bears players are hoping they stay put, however.
Bears defensive backs Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright are two of the four representatives at this year’s Pro Bowl games in the San Francisco area, along with offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Drew Dalman. All four Pro Bowlers were key players in the Bears’ surprising 11-6 season that culminated in a division title and a playoff win, but Byard and Wright are set to be free agents this March, and they’re not being shy about wanting to stick together in Chicago.
On Monday, Byard and Wright were having some fun with a scavenger hunt featuring other Pro Bowlers around the league. A clear message was sent, however, when Wright got a prompt that read, “Shake hands with someone you wish you could play with.” The cornerback went right up to Byard and handed him the scroll. “We ain’t really got to say too much,” Byard said to the camera as he and Wright shrugged.
The two are obviously angling to both be re-signed by the Bears this spring, something that is possible but could be challenging. Byard is likely the bigger priority for the Bears at this point. Though he’s 32 years old, Byard is coming off an All-Pro season in which he led the league in interceptions (seven) and totaled 93 tackles. More impressive, however, is that Byard has yet to miss a game in his 10-year career, which was valuable for a secondary that dealt with numerous injuries in 2025. Byard has stated previously he wants to return, and the feeling is mutual among the Bears’ front office.
Wright, however, could be a different story. The former third-round pick signed a one-year deal worth just over $1 million as a depth player but saw an opportunity to earn more playing time during training camp and he ran with it. Thanks to injuries, Wright became the Week 1 starting cornerback opposite Tyrique Stevenson and turned in a a career year with five interceptions, two forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 11 passes defensed, and 80 tackles while playing all 17 games. Though he proved to be a boom-or-bust cornerback, Wright came up with a turnover at the perfect time on several occasions throughout the season.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Wright provided excellent value for the Bears and will surely cash in with a bigger deal in free agency. He has said multiple times that he hopes to remain a Bear, including later in the day on Monday. Speaking with Adam Jahns of CHGO, Wright expressed his interest in staying in Chicago but knows things are up in the air. “Obviously, but we just have to see where it goes from here. We’ll see; I definitely would love to be back in Chicago, but who knows?”
The Bears have plenty of work to do as the offseason gets started. We’ll see if Byard and/or Wright are in their plans for 2026. They’re hoping the answer to that question is yes.