Caleb Williams praises Joe Thuney's elite talent, confirming Ryan Poles' savvy veteran acquisitions are transforming the Bears' locker room.
The Chicago Bears were busy last offseason.
General Manager Ryan Poles went out and traded for Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs and Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams. He then added center Drew Dalman in free agency.
Thuney and Dalman were both Pro Bowlers in their first year with the franchise, joining safety Kevin Byard. Thuney played in and started every game, including the playoffs.
He even moved positions during the postseason after an unfortunate season-ending injury to left tackle Ozzy Trapilo. Trapilo suffered a patellar injury in the 31-27 win over the Green Bay Packers, and Thuney moved to left tackle for the Divisional Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.
Given how willing he is to do what's best for the team, it's no wonder people have even floated the idea of Thuney playing left tackle in the 2026 season, given the length of Trapilo's recovery.
Thuney moved over to left tackle, and the Bears put Jordan McFadden in at left guard. Chicago didn't allow a single sack in the 20-17 overtime loss to Los Angeles.
Thuney's teammates respect him in Chicago. Caleb Williams joined "The Rush With Maxx Crosby" to talk about how much he enjoys having Thuney as a teammate.
Williams even believed that Thuney could be the greatest guard ever.
"Little nugget in here," Williams said. "Joe [Thuney] might be the greatest. He might be the greatest guard. He's unreal. His resume, plus who he's gone against and the games he's been in. I love Joe, he's the best. We actually got the same birthday. It's a line. It was meant to be."
This further proves that Poles knew exactly what he was doing when he brought in guys like Thuney, Byard, and others to the team. He even used someone like Case Keenum, who was the emergency quarterback and didn't play a snap, to mentor Williams.
The GM used multiple veteran leaders when crafting the Bears' locker room, and it's paying dividends. It's no wonder the Bears were able to have so much success in just one year under Ben Johnson, given the kind of wisdom they had in the locker room.
Thuney is a model of consistency, so it makes sense that he has made the last four Pro Bowls. He also took home the inaugural Protector of the Year honor.
Having a guy like Thuney on your team makes everyone around better.