The Chicago Bears have completely rebuilt their offensive line entering quarterback Caleb Williams’ second year with the franchise. At the center of it all is new left guard Joe Thuney, who the Bears acquired in a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs.
But for all the hype his arrival brought, the guard came to Chicago with his contract set to expire after 2025. The Bears knew they wanted Thuney’s services beyond one year, ultimately signing him to a two-year, $35 million contract extension. Now, the guard will be a pivotal piece of Williams’ blocking scheme for the foreseeable future.
After playing for the Chiefs, Thuney understands what it looks like to reach the NFL’s pinnacle. As the Bears try to make their ascent, the All-Pro lineman believes in Chicago’s vision, via Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune.
“As the days rolled into weeks, you realize this is a special place, special building, special history here, and the people in the building just make it even more special,” Thuney said. “I don’t know if there was an exact moment or anything, but pretty early on I could just tell this is something I want to be a part of, something that I think would be really cool going forward.”
“Being in meetings with him, you can just tell the intent, the intention, the attention to detail, very high standard, which is awesome,” Thuney said of new head coach Ben Johnson. “He’s very good at communicating. You know exactly what he wants from each play, from each player, very specific. He’s a great coach, teaches very well and it’s very cool to learn from.”
Joe Thuney buys into Chicago Bears future
Thuney already has four Super Bowl titles to his name. Playing for the New England Patriots before the Chiefs, he has been a part of NFL greatness essentially his entire career. Which is why it’s so telling that Thuney is completely bought into the Bears.
He didn’t come to Chicago alone, as the Bears also traded for guard Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman. Collectively, Thuney thinks the trio will only give the franchise a strong future.
“Drew and Jonah are great guys,” Thuney said. “They work relentlessly, weight room, film room, every part of the game, you can tell how passionate they are for the game. It’s cool that guys will be here for a couple years, so it’s been great working with them.”
But individually, Thuney is playing at the top of his game despite entering his age-33 season. He has been named to three straight Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro for the first time in 2024. Furthermore, Thuney ranked 12/246 guards with his 79.9 grade from Pro Football Focus.
Alongside his work on the gridiron, Thuney will play a crucial role in building Chicago’s new foundation. Johnson is still a first-time head coach while Williams is only entering his second year. Having a player with Thuney’s experience to lean on will be crucial for both.
Ultimately, the Bears must prove their turnaround is legit in 2025. But with Thuney leading the way, they’re at least confident they won’t lead the league in sacks allowed again. In turn, the All-Pro guard is expecting only a brighter future in the Windy City once he officially makes his Bears debut.
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