Bears' Joe Thuney earns under-the-radar praise entering 2025 NFL season

Chicago Bears counting on Joe Thuney beyond 2025

However, there is one minor concern with the moves that Poles made. Despite still playing at a high level, Thuney is getting older, and, at some point, Father Time will catch up to him and cause his play to decline. He'll turn 33 in November, and the Bears are banking on him maintaining his Hall-of-Fame trajectory through the 2027 season. They signed him to a two-year, $35 million extension in May.

Poles should feel good about that gamble. He isn't the only football guy who thinks Thuney is worth banking on for the next few years. Pro Football Focus agrees. They named Thuney among 10 late-career veterans who are still playing at a high level.

"Thuney has been a model of consistency over his career, grading no lower than 74.2 overall since 2017," PFF's Ryan Smith wrote. "Although his grade last year (80.0) fell short of his career-best mark (81.2) in 2021, it’s important to point out that he was playing out of position at times. Thuney started at left tackle from Week 15 on through the Super Bowl, with 30.2% of his snaps for the season coming there. The four-time All-Pro was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Chicago Bears back in March and was rewarded with a two-year extension worth $17.5 million per season, making his new three-year contract worth $51 million ($33.5 million guaranteed). Thuney will be a big part of a revamped Bears offensive line under new head coach Ben Johnson in 2025."

Players like Thuney age like fine wine. He doesn't rely on any one trait that deteriorates with time. He isn't a guy who relies on elite athleticism or brute strength. Instead, he's a technician who relies on the nuance of offensive line play to dominate his opponent. Thuney is equal parts technique and football IQ, a combination that withstands the test of time.

Sure, there will come a day when Joe Thuney is no longer one of the best guards in the NFL. But that won't happen in 2025, and I doubt it will happen in 2026 either. If the Chicago Bears get at least two top-notch seasons from him, the trade will go down as one of the better moves in recent team history.