In the effort to rebuild their offensive line last offseason, the Chicago Bears may have been shocked to realize Joe Thuney was available. Not only that, it would only take a fourth-round pick to acquire the two-time reigning First Team All-Pro guard from the Kansas City Chiefs.
On and off the field, Thuney was everything the Bears needed him to be this season. He hardly missed a snap all season, and he finished the season as Pro Football Focus' fifth-highest graded guard (with the No. 1 pass blocking grade at the position).
In the Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, with Ozzie Trapilo injured the week before, Thuney kicked out to left tackle and did not allow a sack.
In an effort to spotlight offensive linemen, the NFL created a "Protector of the Year" award, which was awarded for the first time this year. Thuney was an easy finalist, and he won it on Thursday night at NFL Honors.
Pro Football Focus foreshadows a future accolade for Joe Thuney
Some writers covering other teams who had a "Protector of the Year" finalist may feel like their guy got snubbed in all-time fashion. But those sour grapes do not diminish what Thuney did this year, and PFF's Zoltan Buday broke down the resume of the inaugural award winner.
"The 10-year NFL veteran has been arguably the best pass-blocking guard in the NFL for years — and there’s a strong case he’s been the best pass-blocking offensive lineman, regardless of position. Since 2018, he has earned a 91.4 PFF pass-blocking grade, the highest among all guards over that span. He has allowed a quarterback knockdown — defined as a sack or quarterback hit — on just 0.7% of his pass-blocking snaps, the third-lowest rate in the league, and has surrendered pressure on only 3.3% of his 6,189 pass-blocking snaps, which is both the largest workload by a significant margin and the third-best pressure rate."
"Perhaps most remarkably, of the 65 guards who logged at least 300 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, Thuney was the only one who did not allow a single sack. That achievement is even more impressive given his workload, as he handled 686 pass-blocking snaps, the fourth-most at the position."
"While Thuney is best known for his dominance in pass protection, he has also been remarkably reliable as a run blocker. Among the 84 guards who logged at least 100 run-blocking snaps during the 2025 regular season, he was one of just four to earn a negative PFF grade on fewer than 10% of those plays. His 8.9% negative-grade rate was the lowest among all guards and ranked seventh among all offensive linemen."
Buday noted that Thuney has been a key part of two recent NFL dynasties, with four Super Bowl rings split evenly between the New England Patriots and the Chiefs over the last decade. He has also missed just two games in his career so far.
The 33-year-old Thuney does not appear headed for retirement anytime soon, since he's playing at such a high level and has two years left on his contract. But Buday went ahead and put a future accolade in play for him.
"Now, after capping his career with an individual honor as the inaugural Protector of the Year, Thuney’s résumé reflects more than just sustained excellence — it reflects historic dominance. At this point, his inclusion among future Hall of Famers feels not just appropriate, but overdue."
Read more: Bears writer proposes bold offseason trade idea to address huge weakness
Thuney has combined being among the best at his position during his era with multiple Super Bowl rings (maybe with one more ring as a Bear before he's done?). That is the cleanest formula for a bust in Canton when someone's career is over, and there's no hiding from that idea for Thuney now.