After seeing Caleb Williams get sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie, the Chicago Bears took an aggressive approach in ensuring their quarterback stays upright in the pocket. Amongst Chicago’s biggest additions was left guard Joe Thuney.
The Bears acquired Thuney in a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs, who were in a cap crunch with other offensive linemen. Chicago capitalized, making the guard the focal point of their offensive line. As Ben Johnson begins his tenure as head coach, Thuney’s leadership will be crucial.
Despite the Bears’ questions at left tackle, Johnson is hoping it doesn’t come to moving Thuney over. However, playing two positions is something the veteran proved he can excel at with the Chiefs. Entering the 2025 season, Thuney was included on Ted Nguyen of The Athletic’s list of most versatile players. No other offensive lineman was named.
“Some tackles have to bump down to guard because they don’t have the movement skills to play on the edge, but rarely do interior players move outside,” Nguyen wrote. “Last season, because of injuries, Thuney had to do exactly that. He didn’t excel at the position, but he played admirably. He was overmatched at times in the playoffs, and obviously, in the Super Bowl, the entire line was overwhelmed. Still, his move outside displayed rare versatility.”
“The Bears would prefer to keep Thuney inside, but it’s nice to know that they can have solid left tackle play in case of emergency,” he continued. “Thuney also played some center in 2020, which means he has the rare ability to play every position on the offensive line.”
Joe Thuney’s road to Chicago Bears
Before he even stepped foot in the Windy City, Thuney had already earned four Super Bowl rings. Playing for dynasties like the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, the guard understands what it takes to reach to NFL’s upper echelon.
He may be entering his age-33 season, but Thuney has shown no signs of slowing down. He has been named to the Pro Bowl the past three seasons and has earned All-Pro status in back-to-back years. During the 2024 campaign, Thuney’s 79.9 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 12/136 guards. He was 23/136 with his 73.5 run blocking grade while his 82 pass blocking grade ranked fifth-best.
Alongside helping Johnson and Williams get acclimated, Thuney will be the glue that holds Chicago’s offensive line together. Depending on how training camp shakes out, the Bears could have up to four brand new faces across their line. Having a veteran like Thuney who knows how to survive in the trenches will keep the unit grounded.
Johnson is looking to help the Bears offense reach new franchise heights. With Thuney locked in on the line, the head coach is one step closer to that goal.
Chicago Bears new-look offensive line
Before the Bears traded for Thuney, they swung a deal for fellow guard Jonah Jackson with the Los Angeles Rams. He isn’t as heralded as Thuney, seeing as he just played four games in Los Angeles and struggled when on the field. However, Jackson dealt with injuries and was playing out of position. Now, he’s playing under a head coach who helped him earn his lone Pro Bowl berth in 2021.
The Bears then dealt out a three-year, $42 million contract to center Drew Dalman. While an ankle injury limited him to just nine games in 2024, he still impressed by ranking fourth out of 64 centers with a 78.8 grade from PFF. Only 26-years-old, Chicago expects Dalman to only grow in Johnson’s system and become a key part of Williams’ blocking scheme.
Johnson has made it clear that Darnell Wright will be remaining at right tackle. He has earned the job with impressive player over his two years with the team. In 2024, his 79.3 grade from PFF ranked 16/140 tackles. While Johnson is prepared to make plenty of changes, he won’t fix what isn’t broken.
Left tackle is an entirely different story though. Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie are all battling for the opportunity to be named starter. How they perform throughout training camp will determine Chicago’s fifth linemen. The Bears cannot afford to have a weak link in front of Williams.
Offensive line was arguably the team’s biggest weakness in 2024. But with Thuney leading the charge, the Bears have turned it into a strength entering 2025.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears offense still showing discouraging training camp signs
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