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Can Newly Extended Bears’ Guard Joe Thuney Help Protect Beleaguered QB Caleb Williams?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 08: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears looks to pass during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field on September 08, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Titans 24-17. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears and All-Pro guard Joe Thuney have agreed to a two-year contract extension, his agent Mike McCartney announced this week.

The extension is worth $17.5 million per season, and his new three-year contract is worth $51 million and $33.5 million, fully guaranteed at signing.

Thuney, who had been a member of the Kansas City Chiefs since 2021, was traded to the Bears in March in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles had said earlier in the offseason that an extension for Thuney was a priority.

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The offensive line has been a priority for Poles after struggling mightily in 2024. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times during the 2024 season, the third-most all-time in a single season. Bears running backs averaged just 4.0 yards per carry, tied for the third-least in the NFL.

The Bears also added guard Jonah Jackson and center Drew Dalman in the offseason.

During his nine seasons in the NFL, Thuney has missed just two games in his career. Over the last two seasons, he has a pass block win rate of 97.8%, the highest in the NFL.

The Bears enter the 2025 season with an over/under win total of 8.5 after winning just five games in 2024. The new additions of Thuney, Jackson and Dalman, as well as new head coach Ben Johnson, have the Bears going in a positive direction.