The Chicago Bears are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their young quarterback. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bears are trading a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for guard Joe Thuney.
The #Chiefs love Joe Thuney. But he's likely getting an extension, as he enters the final year of his deal set to turn 33. The #Chiefs have the highest-paid G and C and they can't pay everyone. They turn their attention to free agency.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2025
Meanwhile, the #Bears solidify their OL. https://t.co/FhwjSiWbEW
Acquiring Thuney, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, is the Bears' second major offensive line acquisition this week. They also snatched guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Thuney and Jackson are both massive investments for the Bears. Thuney is in the final year of a five-year, $80 million contract signed in 2021 and could be due for an extension that makes him the highest-paid guard in the league. For his part, Jackson is in the second season of a three-year, $51 million deal and is set to count roughly $11.8 million against the cap in each of the next two years.
Investing in a pair of premier guards is a concerted attempt to fix last year's offense by the Bears, which finished 32nd in yards and 28th in points scored. Still, there's a chance they're overcompensating. Their offensive line already ranked a respectable eighth in pass-blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.
Clearly, the Bears are doing everything they can to support quarterback Caleb Williams, the first-overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams disappointed in his rookie season largely due to an inability to handle pressure. He absorbed an NFL-high 68 sacks, and the Bears averaged a pitiful 4.9 net yards per passing attempt, 31st in the league, over the 2024 season. The Bears' future depends on Williams emerging as a franchise quarterback, and they're wise to do everything possible to put him in a position to flourish.
As for the Chiefs, parting with Thuney is bittersweet but a logical necessity. They recently franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith and reportedly intend to extend him. Creed Humphrey and Jawaan Taylor are already some of the league's highest-paid players at their positions, and paying a fourth offensive lineman big money simply wasn't tenable. The Chiefs will save $16 million against the cap by trading Thuney.
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