Bears, Thuney agree to two-year contract extension
The Bears agreed to a two-year extension with All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.
Thuney, acquired in a trade in March, will get $33.5 million guaranteed at signing, per a league source. Now signed through 2027, Thuney will make $51 million over three years and average $17.5 million per year. Thuney’s salary-cap hit for 2025 is $8 million, which creates $8 million of cap space for the Bears because his original, expiring deal had a $16 million cap hit for ’25.
The contract average slots Thuney 11th in the league among guards.
General manager Ryan Poles said before the draft that extending Thuney would be a priority for the team. They got the deal done right before the start of the Bears’ OTAs.
A first-team All-Pro with the Chiefs the past two seasons, Thuney comes to the Bears with more accolades than most who have played offensive line in Chicago. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2019 with the Patriots. He’s been to three consecutive Pro Bowls. He has missed only two starts in his career — 146 career starts since being a third-round pick of the Patriots in 2016.
Poles was in Kansas City when the Chiefs signed Thuney in 2021, where he was a fixture up front on two Super Bowl champs.
“It feels like yesterday where we were signing in Kansas City when we were trying to get our offensive line right (to) make a push and win championships. And that’s exactly what he brought,” Poles said in March. “So he’s seen a lot of different things, played with a lot of different players. So there’s a level of maturity and leadership that is definitely going to enhance not only just the offensive line room but our entire roster.”
Thuney had one year left on his contract when the Bears swapped a 2026 fourth-rounder to acquire him. He’ll turn 33 in November but hasn’t shown evidence of slowing down. Out of necessity, he moved to left tackle late last season for the Chiefs. He’ll play left guard for the Bears.
For a Bears team lacking players with a winning pedigree, landing Thuney was impactful for the locker room. He’ll help whoever is next to him at left tackle, protect Caleb Williams and offer tips, having been on the NFL mountaintop.
The only projected starters set to hit free agency in 2026 are safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard and left tackle Braxton Jones, who is returning from an ankle injury and isn’t guaranteed the starting job. This means that at least four of the offensive linemen in front of Williams are set to be on the team in each of the next two seasons.
Center Drew Dalman and guard Jonah Jackson are under contract through 2027 as well. Right tackle Darnell Wright can be with a fifth-year option. And if the Bears go with rookie Ozzy Trapilo or second-year pro Kiran Amegadjie at left tackle, that reinforces an offensive line that can stay together for multiple seasons — anchored by Thuney, who has the accolades to lift the group.
“I’m grateful to be here and I’m pumped to play,” Thuney said after the trade in March. “I’ll let the business side of it handle itself. Excited to get on the field with the guys in OTAs, and I’m excited to start working. Just looking forward to it.”
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