Joe Thuney, already a Pro Bowler and All-Pro, contends for a new prestigious NFL award recognizing the league's premier offensive lineman.
It was apparent last offseason that improving the offensive line was a major priority for Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles.
He traded for Joe Thuney with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jonah Jackson with the Los Angeles Rams. Poles also made sure to sign free agent center Drew Dalman.
The moves all paid off, but especially Thuney and Dalman, who were voted to the Pro Bowl. Caleb Williams benefited from them, as he was one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL in 2025.
Williams was sacked 24 times, which was the third-fewest in the league.
Thuney is on the brink of securing another accolade in his NFL career. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Thuney was named one of the finalists for the NFL's first Protector of the Year Award.
It's a new award given out annually to the best offensive lineman in the NFL. Thuney is up for the honor with Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garrett Bolles, Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell.
Thuney started his NFL career with the New England Patriots in 2016. He was with the franchise until 2020 before joining the Chiefs in 2021. The Pro Bowls started coming not too long after.
Thuney has made a Pro Bowl every year since 2022. He earned his fourth appearance with the Bears this past season and was also a First-Team All-Pro.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Thuney has made so many Pro Bowls with how consistent he's been. Thuney has missed just two games in the entirety of his NFL career.
The last time he missed games was in the 2022 season with the Chiefs. He didn't miss a single game with the Bears in 2025, and even stepped in at left tackle when Ozzy Trapilo went down with a season-ending patellar injury in the playoffs.
Thuney had played left tackle before with the Chiefs during one of their postseason runs. Even though Thuney stepped up when needed, it didn't result in a win for Chicago, and the Bears lost 31-27 to the Rams.
Having Thuney means the Bears will have left guard figured out for the foreseeable future, but a decision is going to have to be made about left tackle. Trapilo isn't going to be healthy until late in the 2026 season.
Theo Benedet and Braxton Jones have played the position before, but both are set to become free agents this offseason. A veteran free agent may be needed just to hold down Williams' blind side until Trapilo is healthy.
Luckily, the Bears won't have to worry about left guard with Thuney around.