Everybody thought the Chicago Bears’ big offensive line move came when they traded a 6th round pick to Los Angeles for Jonah Jackson. It made sense. The former Pro Bowler had played for Ben Johnson. He’s only 28. Despite the setbacks in 2024, there were good reasons to think he could rebound in Chicago. Then GM Ryan Poles pulled a swerve. As it became clear the Kansas City Chiefs would have to pay Trey Smith a lot of money to stay, they were forced to make a difficult decision. They would need to part with former All-Pro Joe Thuney. Poles recognized the opportunity and pounced, sending a 4th round pick in 2026 to Kansas City.
Some people are skeptical of the move. Thuney is turning 33 this year, and it is difficult to know how much good football he has left before the inevitable decline. One person not worried about that is Mark Schlereth, the former three-time Super Bowl champion guard for Washington and Denver. Schlereth told Bill Zimmerman on the Bears Banter podcast that there are reasons to believe Thuney has plenty of gas left in the tank.
“When you look at offensive linemen, most of them can play into their mid-30s, I think Thuney is still a guy playing at a high level like you talked about,” Schlereth stated. “I think he has a lot of years of good football left in him, two or three years easy of great football left.”
Joe Thuney has history on his side.
Schlereth played with multiple teammates who lived up to this assertion. Centers Jeff Bostic and Tom Nalen both played to their mid-30s, winning championships along the way. The same goes for tackles Tony Jones and Harry Swayne. Both reached 36 while still playing well. Everything comes down to health. Injuries derail the careers of offensive linemen more than anything else. If Thuney can stay healthy, his style of play and ability suggest he can give the Bears at least two more excellent seasons.
That is also where history is on his side. In nine NFL seasons, the guard has only missed two games. Such durability is hard to come by. While that can always change, there is no evidence to suggest his body is breaking down. Joe Thuney takes good care of himself by all accounts. He is a true professional. If the Bears can get three more peak years out of him, that 4th round pick will have been more than a bargain.
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Perhaps Thuney had fond or positive memories of Poles and thus preferred the Bears.
I will be pleased if he performs very well for a single year, given the last three years of OL hell. Anything longer will be extra milk gravy with black pepper.
Bears are wheeling and dealing, its good a feeling that it’s your team and not reading about another’s doing something that takes a spine and a brain all in one move.