While perhaps not the first name that comes to mind when thinking about the Chicago Bears, guard Joe Thuney is one of the team’s most important players. Thuney was traded to the Bears last offseason and was immediately granted a two-year, $35 million extension. This move paid immediate dividends for general manager Ryan Poles and co., as Thuney walked away with the first-ever Protector of the Year award following an immaculate season.
This achievement was only a feather in Thuney’s cap, as across 10 NFL seasons he is a four-time Super Bowl champion and five-time All-Pro.
The latest New Heights Podcast episode featured Tom Brady, in which he and Travis Kelce gushed about their shared former teammate.
Tom Brady Labels Bears Joe Thuney as ‘The Perfect Guard’
GettyJoe Thuney played with the New England Patriots from 2016 to 2020 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2021 to 2024.
“One more teammate, one of my favorites of all time: Joe Thuney. Everywhere he goes, he wins,” Kelce stated.
Brady followed up with, “Joe was like, I think, a third-round pick for us. He played tackle at NC State, and we moved him to guard, started as a rookie. Joe just came in, and he embraced all that… he was just the perfect guard. Size, strength, probably didn’t have the longest arms, but it didn’t matter. He was a captain; he always did the right thing…He showed up, he sweated his [butt] off, and he was just a constant pro… he’s just a great player, great guy.”
That level of praise is no slouch from arguably the greatest quarterback and tight end to ever play the game.
At 33 years old, Thuney shows no signs of slowing down as he will once again anchor the Bears’ offensive line that was massively improved last season.
Caleb Williams was the most sacked quarterback in his rookie year, getting knocked to the turf a whopping 68 times. Then enter Thuney, who helped drop that total to just 24. Last season, Thuney allowed only a single QB hit, no sacks, and just 15 pressures.
Now entering year two with Thuney and year three for Williams, the offensive line is hoping to replicate that success with a few new pieces.
Bears’ Offensive Line Looking To Replicate 2025 Success With New Pieces
GettyThe Chicago Bears had the fifth-best-graded offensive line in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
The biggest elephant in the room is that the team’s center, Drew Dalman, retired after his lone year in Chicago. Despite the brevity of his stay, Dalman made a significant impact in one year. He had the eighth-highest pass-block win rate among all interior offensive linemen and started all 17 games.
As a result, the Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots and selected Logan Jones in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The hope is that one of these players will step up to replace Dalman.
Then Braxton Jones, who was in and out of the lineup at left tackle last season, appears to be in line to secure the full-time gig for 2026.
The Bears’ offense is contingent on the success of their line. The hope is that throughout Training Camp, they can reestablish the chemistry that allowed them to be so successful last year.
Tom Brady Sends Strong Message About Bears Guard Joe Thuney