Adecorated offensive linemen from the New England Patriots’ latter championship run is part of a noteworthy financial move in Chicago days before the 2026 season begins.
ESPN’s Field Yates reported Friday morning that the Chicago Bears restructured the contracts of Joe Thuney, Dayo Odeyingbo and T.J. Edwards, creating roughly $17 million in 2026 salary cap space.
Over the Cap had estimated Chicago was about $12 million over the cap under regular-season accounting rules before the restructures became public.
For New England, Thuney’s inclusion is a reminder of how far the former third-round pick’s career has traveled since leaving Foxborough.
He developed into an All-Pro with the Patriots, landed an $80 million deal after his departure and has continued collecting accolades and championships since.
Thuney Among Players Affected by Bears’ Cap Move
Thuney had one of Chicago’s largest cap charges before the restructure.
NBC Sports noted that all three affected players are signed through 2027 and will see their cap numbers rise in the final year of their deals as a result of the moves.
The Bears already had made a long-term commitment to Thuney last year. After acquiring him from Kansas City for a 2026 fourth-round pick in March 2025, Chicago signed him to a two-year, $35 million extension through 2027.
NFL.com reported at the time that the deal included $33.5 million guaranteed at signing and put Thuney in line to make $51 million over the following three seasons.
Chicago general manager Ryan Poles cited Thuney’s leadership and experience when the extension became official, and the veteran quickly rewarded the investment. Thuney started all 17 regular-season games at left guard in 2025, earned first-team AP All-Pro honors and made his fourth Pro Bowl. The Bears also list him as the 2025 NFL Protector of the Year.
Friday’s restructure leaves Thuney’s contract length unchanged while giving Chicago more room to operate now and shifting additional cap responsibility into 2027.
With Week 1 approaching, that flexibility can cover in-season additions, injury replacements or extra roster moves if one develops.
Thuney’s Patriots Exit Keeps Looking More Significant
New England selected Thuney No. 78 overall out of N.C. State in the 2016 NFL draft, and he quickly became a fixture at left guard. He started all 16 regular-season games in each of his first four seasons and was part of Patriots teams that reached three consecutive Super Bowls.
Two of those trips ended with championships. Thuney started during the comeback victory over Atlanta in Super Bowl LI and again when New England beat the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. His career now includes four Super Bowl victories overall.
His individual profile rose along the way.
Thuney earned second-team AP All-Pro honors in 2019, his first such selection, after playing 99% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps without being flagged for a penalty. New England then used the franchise tag on him in 2020, giving him a fully guaranteed one-year tender worth about $14.78 million.
The Patriots ultimately didn’t keep him beyond that season. Kansas City signed Thuney to a five-year, $80 million contract in 2021, and he went on to win two more Super Bowls while establishing himself among the NFL’s top guards.
At 33, Thuney enters his 11th NFL season with 163 regular-season starts, 23 postseason starts and five AP All-Pro selections.
Former Patriots All-Pro OL Part of Bears’ $17 Million Contract Move