Ryan Poles isn’t messing around.
After trading for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 fourth-round pick earlier this offseason, the Chicago Bears general manager has inked the four-time Super Bowl champion to an extension.
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The Bears and Thuney agreed to a two-year deal worth $17.5m per year, meaning he is scheduled to make $51m for the next three years, with $33.5m fully guaranteed at signing.
Poles wants to protect franchise quarterback Caleb Williams as he heads into his sophomore season.
Last year, the first overall pick was sacked a league-leading 68 times.
Not only is Thuney staying in the Winy City for the foreseeable future, Poles also signed former Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42m contract and gave the Los Angeles Rams a 2025 sixth-round pick for Jonah Jackson.
It’s clear that Poles wanted to overhaul the Bears’ interior offensive line, and he accomplished just that.
The Bears will be hoping that Thuney can become their own Super Bowl ‘luck charm’ just as he was for the Chiefs and New England Patriots.
In Thuney’s nine seasons, he has been to six Super Bowls (three with NE, three with KC) and won four times, two with each franchise.
He has been the protector for arguably the two greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, in Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
Now he will be looking to do the same for Williams.
At least that is what Poles and the Bears are counting on.
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Both soon-to-be Hall of Fame coaches, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid have spoken glowingly towards Thuney in the past.
On Belichick’s Let’s Go podcast, the two coaches talked about Thuney’s ability to play any spot on the offensive line and his all-world versatility.
“Bill let me have Joe Thuney so I appreciated that,” Reid said.
“That kid, we have him out at left tackle now. Bill, you had him as an All-Pro center, All-Pro guard, now he’s out there at left tackle and he doesn’t say a word about it. He doesn’t complain.
“That’s a whole different world out there. There’s no security blanket when you’re on that side. That’s a tough spot. But he just steps in and goes.”
“That’s just the kind of guy he is,” Belichick said.
“He’s just gonna line up and play and you’re gonna get his best on every snap. And you know what, it’s good enough.”
Williams has a rebuilt offensive line going into his second year and has a talented supporting cast of weapons around him.
There are no more excuses for him.
The Windy City is ready for a winner, and Thuney is just that. Now he’s hoping he can make Williams one as well.
