The Chicago Bears defense struggled in the 2025 season and has plenty of room for improvement. But no one is better at steals than Chicago, which leads the league in steals (33) and interceptions (23).
Cornerback Nahshon Wright earned his first career Pro Bowl nod after playing a key role in leading the NFL with eight tackles while safety Kevin Byard led the league with seven interceptions. One of the biggest factors in the defense’s success is defensive backs coach/pass passing coordinator Al Harris, a rising star in the NFL. Wright praised Harris, saying he means “everything” to the Bears organization and to him personally.
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“I think he’s the reason I’m standing here today,” Wright told CHGO. “When you have a guy who believes in you. Even when I got traded, he never gave up on me, he never gave up on me, always checked on me. Being able to do the things we did together in Chicago was everything. He just believed in me, believed in my staff, (Dennis Allen), Ben (Johnson), (Ryan) Poles and just allowed me to come in. It was definitely cool.”
After an injury-plagued season, Harris worked with the defensive backs and generated some interest from around the league. Harris interviewed for several defensive coordinator jobs this offseason. Thankfully for the Bears, Harris will be with the team for at least one more year. However, after seeing how Harris performed in just one year in Chicago, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t find a defensive coordinator job elsewhere in the near future.
As for Wright, we’ll see if he still gets a chance to work with Harris. Coming off a Pro Bowl and career season, Wright will have the opportunity to explore the free agent market. While he’s made it clear he wants to return to the Bears, we’ll see if Pole can pull that off.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Nahshon Wright explains Al Harris’ importance to Bears