Bears GM Ryan Poles said on Tuesday that getting an extension done for OL Joe Thuney will be one of his top priorities after the draft, per Courtney Cronin.
Chicago landed Thuney in a trade this offseason from the Chiefs as part of a major renovation of its offensive line. Kansas City was willing to part with him in part because of his age and the fact he was entering a contract year.
It does not seem like the Bears view Thuney as just a one-year rental, however.
Thuney, 32, was drafted by the Patriots in the third round out of N.C. State in 2016. He signed a four-year, $3.538 million rookie deal and played out the final year of the agreement.
The Patriots opted to franchise Thuney in 2020, which paid him a fully guaranteed salary of $14.781 million. He later departed for a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs.
Thuney was entering the final year of that deal and slated to make a base salary of $15.5 million when he was traded to the Bears for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
In 2024, Thuney appeared in all 17 games for the Chiefs, making 17 starts for them at guard and left tackle.
We’ll have more on Thuney as the news is available.
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Thuney was traded because KC could not afford him anymore and have only 3 days to get under the salary cap to start the new year. The reigning All Pro and reigning Team MVP and team leader was not easily let go. Still at the peak of his dominance. If you look at the score of his snaps at only Guard he’s still the top guard in the league. Add in all the games playing an Extremely undersized LT that he still dominated at, and he still had top grades. Thuney is not to be doubted. He shall be a great player for another 2-3 years.