Chicago Bears Extend All-Pro Lineman

The Chicago Bears have agreed on a contract extension with Joe Thuney. Thuney, the 32-year-old offensive lineman whom the Bears traded for earlier this offseason, was heading into the final year of his current deal and had expressed interest in extending his contract. The details are still coming out on the financial details of the All-Pro’s new contract, but it’s looking like a two-year extension that will keep Thuney under contract through the 2027 season. Over the last two years of the deal, Thuney is slated to make $35 million, $17.5 million per year, with $33.5 million of that guaranteed.

Chicago had known Thuney was intrigued by a contract extension dating back to before they decided to trade a 2026 fourth-round draft pick to the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire him. While the extension was never a foregone conclusion, it’s no surprise in league circles that the two sides were able to agree.

For Thuney, this extension solidifies his situation as he heads into the final years of his prime and quite possibly his career. For the Chicago Bears, they lock in a fourth member of their starting offensive line for at least two years and ensure that they will have All-Pro level play on the interior of the line for three seasons.

Joe Thuney Inks Extension With Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears took a big step in ensuring their offensive line Tuesday morning by extending newly-acquired Offensive Lineman Joe Thuney on a two-year deal worth $35 million. The deal, which was reported by Thuney’s representation, ties Thuney to the Chicago Bears for three years and will keep him in the “Windy City” through the 2027 season. Of the $35 million that is owed to Thuney for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, $33.5 million of it is guaranteed.

The Chicago Bears acquired Thuney this offseason in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to Kansas City, who were looking to shed payroll and needed to choose between Thuney and Trey Smith. Thuney wasn’t the only offensive lineman that the Bears traded for. They also sent a sixth-round pick to the Rams in exchange for Jonah Jackson, showing a clear strategy to beef up the interior of the offensive line.

Chicago is hoping that by first acquiring and now retaining elite offensive linemen, they can protect Caleb Williams, enhance their rushing attack, and provide Ben Johnson with the flexibility to run the kind of offense that made him enticing enough for the Bears to make him their new (and now very rich) head coach. The extension of Thuney now means that four members of the projected starting line for the Chicago Bears are under team control through 2027. The lone lineman not under contract through 2027 is Braxton Jones, who has the most job instability at left tackle as is.

Final Thoughts

I am not surprised by this contract extension news. Ever since the Bears acquired Thuney, the expectation has been that they wouldn’t send Kansas City a fourth-round pick for a player who had been clamoring for a contract extension just to let him walk after one season. The fact that Thuney is 32 and has played in more than his fair share of extra football concerns me a little bit, but only in the sense that the extension is basically fully guaranteed.

All but $1.5 million of Thuney’s remaining salary for the next three seasons is guaranteed, which can be risky. It’s a risk Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are willing to take. It makes sense that they are willing to make this kind of deal after pouring so many resources into the offensive line during the offseason. Not only did they trade and now extend Thuney, but they traded for Jonah Jackson and signed Drew Dalman.

In overhauling the offensive front, a logical move is to reinforce that commitment by extending Thuney, especially with his resume. In his career, the 32-year-old is a four-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Pro Bowler, two-time First Team All-Pro, and two-time Second Team All-Pro. While none of that happened in Chicago, he has three years now to add to that impressive resume after signing this extension.