Bears CB Nahshon Wright continues his breakout season with NFC Defensive Player of the Month honor
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The Tush Push has been widely debated in the National Football League.
The play was nearly banned in the name of player safety this past offseason. Teams have a hard time stopping it in general, let alone replicating it. The Philadelphia Eagles have the play down to a science. Last Friday, however, Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright provided a chemical imbalance.
Wright, taking advantage of a late-blowing whistle, ripped the ball away from Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts for one of two Bears' turnovers in the game. That play was one of the many reasons Wright was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.
"That was Shonny making a hell of a play," Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said.
What they're saying:
Wright's breakout season continues with a massive accolade.
Earning defensive player of the month honors is validation for Wright's ability to play in Allen's scheme, but it's also a validation of his skills as a football player. Wright joined the Bears in 2025 after the Minnesota Vikings cut him following the 2024 season.
When the Bears signed him to a one-year deal, Wright didn't have goals of winning player of the month. He just kept it simple.
"My original goal was to make the 53," Wright said Thursday.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Wright in the third round, and he spent three seasons in Dallas waiting for an opportunity. Bears cornerbacks coach Al Harris was Wright's position coach with the Cowboys, and Wright recalled how Harris told him in 2023 to be ready when he got a chance to play.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 16: Nahshon Wright #26 of the Chicago Bears intercepts a touchdown pass intended for Jordan Addison #3 of the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minn
In camp, Jaylon Johnson was absent as he recovered from an injury he sustained in offseason training. That opened the door for the opportunity Wright had been waiting for. Wright started the season with a bang, returning an interception for a touchdown against the Vikings. Since then, Wright has played in all but one game.
This success has all come in a trying season for Wright, when mentor and father figure John Beam was killed on the campus of Laney College. Wright credited Harris for being prepared for his opportunity with the Bears. Harris was the coach who stood by him even during the early days of his career when playing time was seldom, and was the coach who mentored him when that playing time arrived in Chicago.
"Teams gave up on me," Wright said. "It’s cool to have someone like that who believes in you."
Currently, Wright has a three-game streak of forcing at least one turnover. He forced and recovered a fumble against the Eagles and intercepted passes against the Steelers and Vikings.
"He's been huge for us," Allen said. "He continues to make plays."
By the numbers:
So far in 2025, Wright has recorded five interceptions and 10 pass breakups. He came into the 2025 season with just one career interception and five career pass breakups.
His nose for takeaways took another leap in November.
Wright led the NFL with five takeaways with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in November. That's the most by any player in the league and the most by any NFL defender in a single November since Reggie Nelson did so with the Bengals in 2015.
Wright is the 10th Bears defender to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month since the NFL created the award. The only other Bears defensive backs to earn the honor are Tim Jennings, Charles Tillman and Eddie Jackson.
Wright is the fourth Bear to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Month in November joining Julius Peppers, twice in 2010 and 2011, Robert Quinn in 2021 and Jackson in 2018.
"I've always been confident in myself and my ability," Wright said. "It's just more so about getting an opportunity and being able to bump your head a few times."