The Chicago Bears made some upgrades along their offensive line during the offseason in hopes of making life for Caleb Williams a little bit easier as the signal caller prepares to enter his second season in the NFL.
While some may have written it off as a one-year rental when the Chicago Bears swung a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to bring veteran guard Joe Thuney to the Windy City, Bears GM Ryan Poles offered up a much different outlook for Thuney and the team as this partnership gets underway.
During a session with the media on Tuesday, Poles spoke about his plans for Thuney now that he is part of the fold in Chicago and the GM of the Bears made it abundantly clear that the 32-year-old, four-time Super Bowl champion is here for the long haul.
"That’s definitely one of the priorities moving forward," Poles said regarding his work toward a potential extension for Thuney, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.
Keeping a player like Thuney around for multiple seasons should work wonders for helping Williams mature both on and off the field. There will be pass and run protections, as well as coverages, that Thuney can help Williams identify more quickly, which will, ultimately, make for a more efficient offensive attack as there is very little, if anything, that the veteran lineman hasn't seen after making 146 consecutive starts going back to 2016. His versatility to play left tackle could be a boon for Chicago should the team suffer injuries as well.
This coming season, Thuney is on the books for a cap hit of $15.5 million. When you consider how much the Bears had to give up, a 2026 fourth round pick, in order to bring Thuney to town, it makes sense why Poles and his counterparts in the front office want stability at the position.