Looking back at the 2025 offseason, it's still amazing that the Chicago Bears acquired guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs for merely a fourth-round pick. Other than him being a bit older and the Chiefs not wanting to pay him at a level that might be uncomfortable for an older player, there's no logical explanation.
Thuney delivered as expected in his first year as a Bear, setting the tone for the entire offensive line and winning the inaugural Protector of the Year Award. He also earned a fourth straight Pro Bowl selection and a third consecutive First Team All-Pro nod for his exemplary work at left guard.
Any list of the best guards, or interior offensive linemen, in the NFL right now includes Thuney in a (basically) lofty place. It just depends on how high he is ranked and whether he might get demerited a bit for being 33 years old.
Joe Thuney gets more well-deserved acknowledgement
FanSided's Cody Williams and Jake Beckman collaborated to rank the 50 best players in the NFL for the 2026 season. Thuney, as one of the best guards, if not the best guard, in the league, was an inherent inclusion on the list due to the premise. It was really just a matter of where he'd land.
Thuney comes in at No. 5 on Williams and Beckman's list, with Beckman writing the case for the lofty ranking among all NFL players.
"We’re finally in a world where offensive linemen have an award at the end of the season: the Protector of the Year. Not only that, but it’s voted on by retired offensive linemen. The first guy to ever win it was Joe Thuney."
"He played every single snap for the Bears in 2025. That was 1,149 snaps, and he didn’t allow a single sack."
"Then, during the playoffs, Ozzy Trapilo (left tackle) tore his patellar tendon during the wild card game. What did the Bears do? They put their near-perfect left guard at left tackle. How did he do? Perfectly. For the entirety of the 2025 season, Thuney allowed exactly zero sacks. He was the only guard who played over 1,000 snaps that didn’t allow a single sack. That’s nuts."
Beckman finished with a synopsis of Thuney's Hall of Fame resume, with 2025 now sitting prominently on it.
"10 NFL seasons. Four Pro Bowls. Five All-Pros. Four Lombardis. Joe Thuney has owned the trenches for the better part of the last decade, and 2025 was a masterpiece."
A decline for a player of Thuney's age and career workload at such a physical position can come quickly, but he has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, he seems to be getting a little better with age.
Read more: Possible left tackle option for Bears should be put to bed for good
It can be debated endlessly if Thuney is the fifth-best player in the NFL right now, but he deserves all the high-level acknowledgement that comes his way. What he did last season, even at one of the most unglamorous positions, makes his spot in this ranking not feel ridiculous.
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