Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs
Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles stayed busy during the offseason by making multiple moves to get the offense looking better. One move looks to be the best and most important in 2025.
Pro Football Focus writers Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema teamed up to release the first batch of the top 50 players in the NFL. On their list, new Bears guard Joe Thuney was ranked 43rd after another stellar season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
"Thuney’s reliability and consistency have been pivotal during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl runs, particularly in 2024 when he stepped in at left tackle and still earned an 80.0 overall grade. Since 2020, he ranks fourth among guards in PFF WAR (1.99). Over the past eight seasons, Thuney has never posted a single-season overall blocking grade below 74.0, and across his nine-year career, he has allowed just 19 sacks on 7,040 pass-blocking snaps."
Poles is looking more and more right about trading for Thuney
The last three years have been incredible for Thuney, with three consecutive Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors. His career in general has been amazing, with four Super Bowl titles between his time with the New England Patriots and Chiefs.
Poles was able to pull off a nice trade to acquire Thuney from the Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The Bears went a step further by giving Thuney a two-year, $35 million contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2027 season.
What has made Thuney one of the best guards in the NFL is his consistency. He has only missed two games in his nine-year career and has been in the top half of the guards in the NFL over the last three seasons in Kansas City.
The offensive line was a big focus in the offseason after the Bears gave up 68 sacks a season ago. They need to ensure that their franchise quarterback Caleb Williams is protected and have enough time to go through his reads.
Thuney was one of three new offensive line starters from outside the organization that the Bears brought in this offseason. Center Drew Dalman and guard Jonah Jackson also joined Thuney as new additions.
Chicago will lean on Thuney's veteran presence on the line to help improve a unit that desperately needs to perform well in 2025.