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Chicago Bears: Joe Thuney losing key skill despite playing great
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The Chicago Bears will need Joe Thuney to have another All-Pro season after center Drew Dalman retired in the offseason.
The Bears interior offensive line was finally stellar last year with Dalman, Thuney, and Jonah Jackson. Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones will compete for the starting center job, but there is no doubt Thuney is expected to be the best player on the offensive line in 2026.
Thuney, 33, won NFL protector of the year in 2025. The Bears brought him in via a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs last year to protect Caleb Williams. He led all league guards in pass block win rate, but he’s still a force as a run blocker.
In a survey conducted by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN of NFL executives, scouts, and coaches, Thuney is ranked at the No. 5 best interior offensive lineman in the league.
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An NFL scout noted that he’s losing lateral quickness, which could hurt his run blocking ability in the future, but his fundamentals are so strong that he’s been able to overcome a weakness that’s unavoidable with aging.
“He’s losing a little lateral quickness, but he’s so technically sound and tough and sturdy and stronger than you’d think that it doesn’t really matter,” the exec said. “He was awesome last year.”
Thuney was the third best guard at a run block win rate of 77 percent last season.
Eventually, Thuney’s skills will decline as he reaches his mid-30s, but he should have more to give the Bears over the next few years as they chase a Super Bowl, something he’s won four times during his NFL career with the New England Patriots and Chiefs.
One NFL coach told Fowler that Thuney kicked their ass last season.
In 2025, Thuney signed a two-year contract extension with the Bears that will keep him in Chicago through the 2027 season, so the offense will benefit from having the veteran for at least two more seasons.
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