An All-Pro Staying a Block Step Ahead of Father Time

By Clete Campbell Windy City End Zone

The burning question of this Chicago football offseason day is as warranted as asking someone walking out of Chase Tower downtown with two large money bags what they are doing.

Why are the Chicago Bears investing another guaranteed $35 million and possibly $51 million overall on a 32-year-old offensive guard who has traveled more gritty, bruising miles than a daily work commuter going 61.6 miles by car from far, far-suburban Sandwich, IL to downtown Chi-Town for 20 years without an I-PASS (friends, we’ve seen the After Photo of such a commuter and it ain’t pretty)?

The Bears Tuesday extended All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney, one of their prized offensive line additions of their offseason roster makeover, to a two-year, $35 million guaranteed ($51 million potential value) that takes him through 2027, when he will turn 35.

“Thank goodness Thuney wasn't just a one-year rental,” Bears Wire Brendan Sugrue wrote on X. “This is the Bears window, Now, they have to capitalize.”

Under the new deal, Thuney will bank $17 million per year, ranking him fourth among left guards and 19th among all guards per Over the Cap (Bears, OL Joe Thuney agree to terms on two-year, $35 million extension). His mission: Protect franchise quarterback-in-training Caleb Williams at all costs and open clear running lanes for a Bears running game that ranked 25th in the league last season.

"We are looking forward to Joe being a member of the Chicago Bears for the years ahead," general manager Ryan Poles said. "Joe's leadership and experience have already positively impacted our organization, and we are fortunate that he will continue to lead our team, on and off the field."

The super pros here are obvious. Thuney is a four-time Super Bowl champion (in fact, he alone has more Super Bowl rings than the rest of the Bears offense combined) and a three-time Pro Bowler who is showing no signs of performance decline. His stellar work helped keep Patrick Mahomes on his feet and making championship-winning plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. His professionalism is respected around the league.

The downsides are muted but worth noting. How many 32-year-old offensive guards can you name who maintain their All-Pro caliber of play post their 32nd birthday. And the Injury Grim Reaper has been calling Thuney’s name of late, including a torn pectoral muscle.

Still, Thuney’s play was as sharp as ever in 2024, when he played 97% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps and committed just one holding penalty. It was the first hold Thuney had been called for since 2022.

In contrast, the Bears offensive line committed 22 holding penalties in 2024 alone.

And Thuney has the NFL’s highest pass block win rate (97.8%) over the last two years and enters 2025 riding a three-year Pro Bowl streak.

"We are excited to secure Joe as a member of our team moving forward," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "As we build our culture through hard work and belief, Joe will be an integral piece to the growth and development of our football team."

And an integral part to keeping Williams upright and making game-winning plays.

By committing to Thuney, “The Bears hope that number goes down in a big way,” The Associated Press reports.

The Bears have invested another $35 million in four-time Super Bowl-winning All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney.

Because Joe Thuney is not your average 32-year-old All-Pro left guard.