Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Bears' Joe Thuney a favorite to win Protector of the Year in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 2:05 PM ET

Offensive linemen have gone too long without any kind of special recognition, and it appears that the NFL feels the same way. That's why a new award was unveiled back in May: the Protector of the Year. This new award is exclusively for offensive linemen, and it gives the big fellas up front some long-overdue acknowledgement for their efforts.

There's no shortage of names that could potentially end the 2025 NFL season as the very first winner of Protector of the Year honors, with more than one coming from the Chicago Bears. There's plenty of excellent linemen in this league, however, and with only one winner you can only include the best of the best on a shortlist of names to watch. That includes Joe Thuney.

Nick Shook, a writer for NFL.com, compiled a list of the ten names who have the best odds of ending 2025 as the debut Protector of the Year and he had Joe Thuney at No. 8.

Regarding Thuney's place on the list and the situation in Chicago, here's what Shook had to say: "It all looks good on paper, but Thuney will only receive consideration for this award if new Bears coach Ben Johnson can transform this offense into an explosive unit in short order, and if Caleb Williams can take steps (plural) forward in his second season. If Chicago ends up being a frequent topic of discussion due to on-field success, Thuney will be lauded as one of the pickups key to the team's improvement, and that will lead directly into consideration for Protector of the Year."

The highest-graded pass-blocking guard by season:

2024: Joe Thuney - 90.4
2023: Joe Thuney - 85.4
2022: Joe Thuney - 88.9
2021: Joe Thuney - 90.1 pic.twitter.com/0wTYpWc4oN
— PFF (@PFF) July 29, 2025

Thuney, a four-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion, has been the highest graded guard in terms of pass blocking for the last four years, according to Pro Football Focus. But Shook has it exactly right: despite his obvious talent, despite being arguably the best guard in the NFL, Thuney will be a complete afterthought for this award if the Bears aren't winning, and that's directly tied to head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams.

Luckily for Thuney, recent reports out of Chicago's training camp are raving about Williams' improvement and his overall command of Ben Johnson's complicated offense. They still have to prove it on the field, of course, but if Williams and Johnson live up to the hype, then Thuney may have to get them a 'thank you' card on his way to the 2026 NFL Honors program.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: