With the 2025 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the expectation was that the Chicago Bears would shift their focus to signing All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to a contract extension.
During an interview with ESPN 1000 in April, Poles mentioned that the Bears were hoping to make progress on an extension for Thuney soon. Progress has apparently been made, as the Bears have agreed to a two-year extension with Thuney.
Signing Thuney to a two-year extension was the obvious move for the Bears. Earlier this season, the Bears signed center Drew Dalman to a three-year contract. After trading for Jonah Jackson, the Bears added an extra year of control on Jackson's contract. With Thuney now signed to a two-year extension, the starting interior offensive line, in theory, will be in place for the next three seasons. With Darnell Wright serving as the team's right tackle and Ozzy Trapilo as the left tackle, overall, the offensive line could be stable for multiple seasons ahead.
Joe Thuney's contract extension gives the Bears' some much-needed stability on the offensive line
In extending Jackson and Thuney, Ryan Poles avoided a mistake he made last offseason. After the Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers last year for veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, the team made little effort to extend the former Pro-Bowler. Allen, for what it's worth, is still a free agent.
The Bears, with these extensions and free-agent signings, have clearly defined the next three seasons as a contending window. By the time these deals are expiring, it will be time, if everything goes right, for the Bears to make Caleb Williams the highest-paid quarterback in the history of the NFL.
With Williams still on his rookie contract, now is the time for the Bears to make these deals. However, the next part is for Williams and the Bears' success on the football field. It's an advantage the Bears never had with Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. A good quarterback on a rookie contract is often what defines a contention window.
Thuney's extension is the third extension the Bears have finalized over the last two months. In April, the Bears extended Kyler Gordon and T.J. Edwards. Short of contract restructures, the Bears are likely done with extensions this offseason. The next candidate would be safety Jaquan Brisker, but his concussion history may have the team shying away from that.