OL Joe Thuney agrees to five-year, $80M deal with Chiefs

Offensive lineman Joe Thuney earned a pair of Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots. He now is leaving the club via free agency as the Kansas City Chiefs look to rebuild their offensive line. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter report that Thuney agreed to a five-year deal worth up to $80 million to complete the move to Kansas City. The news comes less than a week after the Chiefs parted ways with starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that "the practical guarantee" of the contract is $48 million, with $32.5 million in fully guaranteed cash at signing. 

Pro Football Focus has Thuney listed as 13th overall among free agents and previously estimated that he would put pen to paper on a four-year deal worth $57 million with $35 million total guaranteed and $20 million fully guaranteed at signing. 

New England selected Thuney in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and the 28-year-old evolved into a cornerstone of the offensive line. He played under the franchise tag last year. According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Thuney’s new deal includes the highest average annual salary ($16 million) among guards signed to multi-year contracts. 

Alper added that four other members of the Kansas City offensive line are set to hit free agency.