Maybe the recently-cut Vikings defender will be looking for a bit of revenge.
Earlier, the news dropped that the Vikings would be moving on from Nahshon Wright, a depth corner who was looking to snag one of the final roster spots for the 2025 team. Instead, he ventured out into the wild world of NFL free agency. He didn’t last too long. The Chicago Bears have brought him to town, as Aaron Wilson succinctly notes: “#Bears signed Nashon Wright.”
Cut Vikings Defender Now a Chicago Bear
No shortage of consternation accompanied the Vikings and the corner position coming into the offseason.
Last year’s top four options — Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau — were corners careening toward free agency. Very sensibly, the Vikings made it a priority to bring Mr. Murphy back since he’s the youngest and most versatile of the bunch (which is to say nothing of offering the best play).
Murphy agreed to a three-year deal that’s coming in at $54 million. Not a bad payday.
On the open market, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a pair of notable moves at corner: adding Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah.
Recently, there has been some chatter about Rodgers stepping into a large role in Minnesota. The 27-year-old defender hasn’t ever been a full-time starter but he’s inspiring optimism in the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, bringing Okudah aboard is about taking a home-run swing. After all, we’re talking about a 26-year-old corner who was drafted at No. 3 back in the 2020 NFL Draft. If his health cooperates, Okudah could conceivably put together a nice season.
Add these additions (or, in Murphy’s case, re-addition) into the mix and Minnesota is working with a sturdy but unspectacular top five at corner: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, and Dwight McGlothern.
Nahshon Wright’s task involved proving to be a better player than one of those five or prove to be so indispensable to Matt Daniels’ special teams that he demanded to be kept around as the CB6. He won’t receive that opportunity with the Vikings, instead needing to show off what he can do with the Bears.
The great appeal with Mr. Wright is that he’s 6’4″ and he ran a 4.46. Combining that kind of length with that kind of speed is sure to intrigue defensive coordinators. Safe to say, though, that he has struggled to live up to being the No. 99 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
His opening trio of seasons were with the Cowboys. He only played in 269 defensive snaps but did get involved in 611 special teams plays. After getting traded to the Vikings, Nahshon Wright spent the season on the practice squad apart from a single contest. He didn’t play any defense but he did get worked into the mix for 15 special teams snaps.
The division-rival Bears will be on the schedule twice in 2025 (just like the other NFC North teams, the Lions and Packers). In theory, Wright could get the shot to prove Minnesota wrong, matching up with one of Minnesota’s excellent pass catchers and showing that he’s capable of locking down his man.
