The Brock Clock was ticking and the Lions had yet to make a decision. As far as Brock Wright knew, they were going to let him walk to the 49ers after he signed a three-year, $12 million offer sheet with the team that toppled Detroit in the NFC title game last season. Wright was even checking out real estate in the San Francisco area: "I did look into the price per square foot. So that’s another plus of staying," he said with a laugh.
Given five days to match the 49ers offer, the Lions waited until 2.5 hours before the deadline to make it official. Wright said it was "definitely stressful," waiting to find out if he'd be staying with the team that's helped him grow into a solid NFL tight end. It was also "kind of a cool experience," he admits, being at the center of a bidding war of sorts between two Super Bowl contenders. Not bad for a guy who went undrafted three years ago.
“It was a unique process for me, seemed like a new process for most of the parties involved, too. Just had to rely on my agents. Trusted them to walk me through it and do what’s best for me. At the end of the day, just super excited I get to be back here in Detroit," said Wright, who was born and raised in the suburbs of Houston. "This place is home now."
Wright has quietly become a key cog in the Lions' offense since joining the team in year one under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. He's not much of a pass-catcher, which is just fine in an offense that features a Pro Bowl tight end in Sam LaPorta. But Wright helps power the Lions' dominant rushing attack as a blocker. There's a reason that Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, who have a diverse ground game themselves, tried luring him to San Fran.
And there's a reason the Lions wouldn't let it happen after originally signing Wright to a one-year, $3 million tender earlier this offseason. It was worth the extra $9 million to keep him around, especially with the NFL's salary cap rising dramatically this season.
Wright has played in 41 games in three seasons with the Lions, which is more than some of the tight ends who were actually drafted in 2021. He has carved out a career for himself in Detroit by embracing the dirty work and improving each year. He laughed and said that when "I go back and watch my rookie-year tape, I can’t believe how bad I was. ... I think the longer you stick around, the better you should be."
Wright did have other options coming out of Notre Dame an an undrafted free agent. During an exit interview last season, he said that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson -- who was the Lions tight ends coach when Wright was a rookie -- told him, "Man, don’t you think that picking Detroit was the best decision you’ve ever made in your life in unrestricted free agency?"
“And I’ve said that multiple times now," said Wright. "By far, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Looking back on it now, I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to come here and have things work out the way we planned and hoped they would.”
The only thing that didn't go according to plan last season? Wright broke his forearm in the playoffs in the Lions' divisional round win over the Bucs (but not before a clutch 29-yard catch-and-rumble in the second half). That kept him out of the NFC championship, which probably hurt more than the injury itself. Wright said the bone is close to fully healed and he's back to "doing everything in the weight room, which feels great."
As the Lions aim for history in 2024, Wright couldn't imagine being anywhere else. He wouldn't belong anywhere else. Asked about the shot of confidence he received from being coveted by a Super Bowl contender in San Francisco, he said, "That goes both ways. That’s how we are here in Detroit now, too."
"We’ve kinda been talking, the motto next year is, ‘It takes more.' Everybody will have to step up their game," said Wright. "But I think everybody on our team should be confident knowing that we have the experience of being there now and looking forward to carrying that over to the next year.”