In the hierarchy of players that the Chicago Bears can least afford to lose, All-Pro offensive tackle Darnell Wright might be at the top. The 25-year-old Wright recently signed a lucrative contract extension, making him one of the richest offensive linemen in NFL history, because he is the straw that stirs the drink for Caleb Williams' and Ben Johnson's explosive offense. None of what Williams or Johnson want to do as orchestrators of Chicago's scheme works without a genuine cornerstone like Wright up front.
So you could imagine why everyone in Chicago was holding their breath at the news that Wright had hurt his right elbow during Tuesday's Bears training camp practice. It is the same elbow he wears a brace on now full-time after injuring it mid-season last year.
A day later, with training evaluations no doubt completed, added much-needed context to Wright's situation. Per Courtney Cronin of ESPN, folks with the Bears believe Wright is "fine" and that it likely isn't an injury to be concerned about. While it's unclear what Wright's status is in the near term, it's probably not something that's going to linger or threaten any meaningful game time.
That should be a huge sigh of relief for everyone in Chicago:
The Bears' regular-season opener on the road against the Carolina Panthers is just over two weeks away.
At the time of this writing, Theo Benedet is listed as Wright's backup at right tackle on the Bears' official depth chart.
According to Over The Cap, Wright's $93 million in practical guarantees is the highest amongst all active NFL offensive linemen. It's also the most in NFL history for an offensive lineman.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Darnell Wright reportedly 'fine' for Bears after huge elbow injury scare
