Over the course of the past two weeks, outside of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have placed an emphasis on locking up current core players for the long term.
Two players who were headed toward their final contractual season with the Bears were Kyler Gordon and linebacker T.J. Edwards. Gordon inked a three-year contract extension, making him the highest-paid nickel cornerback in the NFL, while Edwards signed a two-year contract extension.
With Gordon and Edwards locked up, all eyes turned to Joe Thuney. The Bears traded for the All-Pro guard last month with the expectation that he would be signing a new deal with the team. As it stands now, Thuney is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
While speaking with reporters at Halas Hall on Tuesday, Ryan Poles confirmed that signing Thuney to a contract extension is a priority for the team moving forward.
Bears GM Ryan Poles says a contract extension for new guard Joe Thuney is "definitely one of the priorities moving forward."
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) April 22, 2025
The messaging from Poles regarding Thuney's potential contract extension mirrors what he said about Gordon at the NFL Owners Meetings. At the meetings, Poles stressed that signing Gordon to an extension was a priority. Hopefully, Thuney will have a similar outcome.
For the Bears, signing Thuney to an extension would avoid the mistake they made with Keenan Allen last season. After trading a fourth-round pick for Allen last offseason, the Bears were unable to come to terms on a new contract with the veteran wide receiver.
Unlike Allen, the hope is that Thuney can still perform at an All-Pro level for the Bears. Even if there is a regression, it would be a safe bet that Thuney's production will still be an upgrade from what the Bears have had in recent seasons.
If the Bears are able to sign Thuney to a contract extension, that will give the team stability among the offensive line that they haven't had in recent seasons. A Thuney exension would make four of the five starting offensive linemen for the Bears being under contract past the 2025 season.