The Chicago Bears didn’t wait for free agency or the draft to make significant and necessary moves to improve the offensive line, going the trade route instead.
Most notably, Chicago flipped a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Kansas City Chiefs to land First-Team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney after the reigning AFC champions franchise-tagged Trey Smith and took the top offensive lineman potentially headed for free agency off the board.
Most analysts and reporters who have already written about the trade have lauded the Bears’ move to up the talent of the unit and invest in protecting second-year quarterback Caleb Williams under new head coach Ben Johnson after Chicago afforded a league-leading 68 sacks in 2024.
Adam Jahns of The Athletic on Wednesday, March 5, ran through several reasons why the move for Thuney was optimal for the Bears, adding that he expects an extension to come down the pike for the 32-year-old guard who has four Super Bowl rings on his resumé between stints with the Chiefs and New England Patriots.
“It’s about having the right expectations. An extension seems likely for him,” Jahns wrote. “But if the Bears get two to three strong years from him in front of Williams, that’s a win in my book. Thuney wouldn’t be the first guard to play well into his 30s. He also will have helped with Williams’ development. The ripple effect of these moves is also interesting to consider. Not only is Thuney better than Aaron Banks, Kevin Zeitler and Mehki Becton, but adding him and [Jonah] Jackson opens the door at No. 10 for different options in the NFL draft.”
Joe Thuney Projected to Command New $40 Million Deal From Bears
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Joe Thuney.
Thuney will turn 33 years old late next season, which is the final on his current five-year, $80 million contract. Extending him now will allow Chicago to keep him locked up through the remainder of his prime, though it won’t be cheap given that Thuney is at his career peak following the Chiefs’ third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl.
He has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods and earned First-Team All-Pro honors in each of the past two seasons. Thuney was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2022 as well as in 2019. He has also been highly durable, appearing in 66 of 68 possible regular season games since joining Kansas City four years ago.
Spotrac projects Thuney’s market value at $20.3 million annually ($40.6 million total) over a new two-year deal.
Bears Predicted to Look at Offensive Tackle With No. 10 Pick
GettyChicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright.
The Bears used the No. 10 pick a couple years ago to draft right tackle Darnell Wright out of Tennessee. Jahns noted that Chicago’s moves to add two starting offensive guards with elite-level pass block rates will now allow the Bears to go in whatever direction they like with the 10th pick in 2025.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper predicted in his latest mock draft that Chicago will pursue Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons in that spot.
“If the Bears expect quarterback Caleb Williams to take a big step forward in 2025, they have buy him time in the pocket to actually make plays,” Kiper wrote. “Darnell Wright has the right tackle position locked down, but Chicago could replace Braxton Jones (recovering from an ankle injury) on the left side with Simmons. Of course, Simmons is coming back from his own injury (knee), but he should be good to go for camp and has great traits. I love his consistency and balance in pass protection.”
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