Bears' Joe Thuney lands on PFF's Top 50 NFL Players list

After yet another abysmal showing from the Chicago Bears' offensive line in 2024, it became clear that they needed a major upgrade in the worst way. All due credit to GM Ryan Poles because he stepped up and delivered in spades. He first traded for guard Jonah Jackson, a smart yet underwhelming move, but followed that up with a blockbuster trade that saw the Bears acquire 4-time All-Pro Joe Thuney.

It's hard to understate how much value Thuney brings to the Bears. Beyond the massive upgrade in talent, he brings with him a championship pedigree that includes 4 Super Bowl rings. He's played with and protected arguably the two greatest quarterbacks of all time: Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. He knows what it takes to win, and he's a natural leader, both of which are character traits that have been in alarmingly short supply in Halas Hall in recent years.

It's no surprise, then, to see that Thuney found a place in Pro Football Focus' list of the Top 50 players entering the 2025 season, checking in at No. 43. Per PFF, these rankings are based on "a combination of past performance, future potential and overall impact on the game."

Regarding Thuney's game, PFF had plenty to say about his consistently elite level of play: "Since 2020, he ranks fourth among guards in PFF WAR (1.99). Over the past eight seasons, Thuney has never posted a single-season overall blocking grade below 74.0, and across his nine-year career, he has allowed just 19 sacks on 7,040 pass-blocking snaps."

It literally does not get much better than that, and that has to be exciting for Bears fans. Even if the Bears miss the playoffs again in 2025, the season can still be called a success if Caleb Williams proves beyond any shadow of doubt that he is the franchise quarterback he was billed to be, but he can't do that if he's constantly running for his life.

Thuney's presence will also help the run game in a big way, which will boost D'Andre Swift's confidence. After signing a huge deal for a running back, Swift was downright awful for much of 2024, but he too gets some benefit of the doubt on account of a porous offensive line. With an improved blocking unit, Swift has a good shot of replicating his success with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and potentially earn another contract.

Simply put, Joe Thuney makes things a whole lot easier for a lot of people at Halas Hall, and his spot on PFF's Top 50 is well deserved.