It’s mid-December, and the Bears are sitting atop the NFC North in Ben Johnson’s first season. While both sides of the ball for Chicago have been impressive, nothing has been more evident than Joe Thuney‘s immediate impact on the offense.
The Acquisition of Thuney
After Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times in 2024, Chicago’s front office decided an overhaul was needed across the offensive line. The most significant addition to that was Thuney. The Bears acquired him via a trade with Kansas City in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Looking at his track record and how he’s performed this season, it’s clear that he was worth the price.
Thuney’s History as a Winner
Thuney is the perfect fit for an offense that lacks playoff experience. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion, winning two with New England and two with Kansas City. His four championships trail only Tom Brady (7) and Charles Harley (5) among all-time Super Bowl winners. Thuney also ranks second amongst active players in playoff games started, with 21 in his nine previous seasons.
While winning is obviously a team stat, there is a clear correlation between Thuney and postseason success. It also helps that the two starting quarterbacks he protected before arriving in Chicago were Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
Still, Thuney is a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time first team All-Pro. He even finished 10th in offensive player of the year voting for the 2024 season, ahead of players such as Kyren Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Baker Mayfield.
The Bears’ O-Line Struggles Have Been Solved
Thuney and the Bears’ offensive line have been nothing short of spectacular this year. Looking at the unit as a whole, they have excelled in two categories: time to throw and yards before contact for running backs, per Sharp Football Analysis. The Bears have given Williams more time to throw than any other team in the league and have given their backs enough space to find holes and make plays. Thuney has been the leader behind both of those numbers.
While the stats show that the offensive line has been great as a group, they show that Thuney has been the best of the unit. According to ESPN Analytics, Thuney ranks in the top five for both pass-block and run-block win rate. He’s won a resounding 98% of his pass-block reps over 346 dropbacks this season. While his win rate in the run game is lower at 77%, he still ranks third amongst interior offensive linemen.
Thuney’s pass protection has been elite. Beyond his win rate, he has allowed just 11 pressures and zero sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Stability For the Near Future
After being traded to the Bears this offseason, Thuney signed a contract extension through 2027 with Chicago. The 33-year-old will be a core piece of this team over the next several seasons as the Bears look to become consistent contenders in the NFC.
Thuney has done more than enough to solidify himself as both a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro once again. He has made a strong case to appear in Offensive Player of the Year voting and potentially climb even higher.
Ryan Poles did all he could to put together a better offensive line to help his team’s offense succeed. In doing so, he’s assembled one of the most dominant units in football. And with one of the top units in the league comes one of the top players in football right now: Joe Thuney.
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