Joe Thuney, Bears Agree to New Contract Reportedly Worth $51M After Trade from Chiefs

Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney's agent, Mike McCartney, announced Tuesday that the lineman agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Bears.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed the news, adding that the deal is worth $17.5 million per year with $33.5 million guaranteed. When taking into account his 2025 salary, Thuney is set to make $51 million over the next three seasons in Chicago.

Bears GM Ryan Poles released a statement on Wednesday about the deal:

The Bears acquired the 32-year-old Thuney in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in March, landing him in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick.

Thuney is among the most decorated offensive linemen in the NFL with four Super Bowl rings, three Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro First Team selections to his credit over the course of his nine-year career.

Originally a third-round pick out of NC State by the New England Patriots in 2016, Thuney spent his first five NFL seasons with the Pats.

Thuney was a starter right away, playing a significant role on Super Bowl-winning teams in both 2016 and 2018.

He inked a five-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs in free agency in 2021 and continued his winning ways, winning two more Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023.

All told, Thuney has started all 146 of the regular-season games he has appeared in during his career, and he has only missed two games, which speaks to his durability.

Thuney has also started 21 playoff games, including six Super Bowls over only nine campaigns.

Trading Thuney was a cost-cutting move for the Chiefs rather than an indictment of his performance, as he was a Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro last season, and even finished 10th in Offensive Player of the Year voting.

The Chiefs' loss is potentially the Bears' gain, as the acquisition of Thuney was part of a complete overhaul of Chicago's offensive line.

Along with Thuney, the Bears added guard Jonah Jackson and center Drew Dalman this offseason as well, giving them a completely new interior.

Chicago's front office is undoubtedly hopeful that the moves will aid in the development of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Despite the Bears finishing with a 5-12 record, Williams did some good things as a rookie, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 489 yards.

However, Williams was also sacked a league-high 68 times for a grand total of 466 yards lost, which often put the Bears behind the sticks.

If Thuney and the rest of the Bears' offensive line acquisitions can do a much better job protecting Williams, Chicago has a chance to be one of the biggest surprise teams of the 2025 season.