The Chicago Bears' 2025 offseason was defined by a concerted effort to improve in the trenches. Free agency, the draft, and trades were all utilized to help rebuild the biggest weakness of the roster: the offensive line, with the most noticeable being the emergence of Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney. Even though he was accomplished in his own right before moving to the Windy City, Thuney has quickly become an offseason steal.
It is rare to see such an accomplished player become an overlooked move; however, there are two factors that make Thuney's performance underrated. Offensive linemen don't always get the most love, and the rough start to Chicago's season took plenty of attention off the veteran blocker. He's since used his time under the radar to exceed expectations, proving why he was among the biggest moves made in the 2025 offseason.
Bears Guard Joe Thuney is Quickly Emerging as Underrated Offseason Addition
Thuney's strong start is highlighted by his 74.5 pass blocking grade on Pro Football Focus. It's down from last year's mark (80.0), but he's still been a part of the process to help quarterback Caleb Williams take that next step. Losing in the trenches each and every week had become a frustrating staple of the Matt Eberflus era, so it's great to see that isn't the case anymore.
Having said that, Thuney's 53.4 run block grade isn't much to write home about — especially since it's the worst effort of his career. Fortunately, his performance has improved as the schedule has progressed, and he just tallied a season-high 61.1 run block grade against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.
Thuney has quickly become the most important piece in fixing this offensively and isn't garnering the deserved attention for his solid start. Chicago has put up 56 points in the last two games, a huge jump in comparison to the struggles a season ago. This can be pointed back to the impact of new head coach Ben Johnson, and the changes in the trenches headlined by Thuney.
What makes this move age all the better is the fact that all the Bears gave up was a 2026 fourth-round pick, with the Kansas City Chiefs appearing to make the move only due to seeking a level of cap relief. The Bears used the Chiefs' desperation to their advantage, and the deal has since paid off in spades.
Thuney is proving to be worth every penny and deserves more credit for the tone he is helping set on the inside, willingly covering up others' mistakes and buying Williams extra time. There's no question that the move is quickly aging well as the Bears' season continues to turn in the right direction, leaving fans hopeful that the best is yet to come.