While the Chiefs plot their next move, the Bears are unstoppable thanks to Joe Thuney’s unmatched dominance.QQ

The Bears are loving the returns on their investment in Joe Thuney so far.

The saying is that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and the same applies to NFL teams—at least when a general manager is lucky enough. Ryan Poles felt fortune’s smile back in March when the Kansas City Chiefs decided to move on from Joe Thuney and has reaped the generous dividends ever since.

Before a new fiscal year began in the National Football League, the Chiefs decided to make a major financial decision and trade Thuney away. A deal would allow K.C. to retain Trey Smith on a long-term deal (among other moves) after new salary cap numbers were posted.

The Chicago Bears stepped up when they heard Thuney was available. Poles, the Chicago Bears’ GM (and notably, a former Chiefs exec), only had to surrender a fourth-round choice in the 2026 NFL Draft (then two draft classes ahead) in order to secure the services of one of the single best pass blockers in the league. It’s a move that looked good then and it’s even better now.

The Bears are loving the returns on their investment in Joe Thuney so far.

When surveying the Bears’ season at the midway point, Ryan Fowler recently named Thuney as the team’s MVP thus far, noting just how stellar his pass protection continues to be at the age of 32.

Thuney has turned out to be the ideal acquisition for a young offense coming together under a first-time head coach. Ben Johnson was brought in by the Bears to help develop quarterback Caleb Williams and orchestrate a franchise turnaround, given his reputation as a creative offensive mind. To aid Williams (and his process), the Bears brought in Thuney, an ideal veteran leader to help reorient the locker room and on-field product as well.

Through eight games, Thuney had played 533 snaps, proving himself to still be every bit the ironman that he was for the Chiefs, while allowing a single quarterback hit and zero sacks on the season. For a Bears’ offensive front that was porous before Thuney’s arrival, the heartening results have led to improvements all around.

Currently, the Bears sit at 6-3 in Johnson’s first season, following an abysmal 5-12 record one year ago. The Bears’ offense is ranked No. 7 in total yards and No. 3 in points scored. That’s not all on Thuney, as the Bears also brought in center Drew Dalman and right guard Jonah Jackson to alleviate the concerns in the interior. However, Thuney’s presence has been impactful in all aspects.

The good news for the Chiefs is that things have worked out on their end, at least in Thuney’s old spot. The first half of the season has been tough overall, with the Chiefs sitting in third place in the AFC West with an unexpected 5-4 record. However, the Chiefs rolled the dice when trying to replace Thuney with Kingsley Suamataia in his second season, and things have worked out fairly well. That Suamataia is not a storyline within K.C.’s struggles is noteworthy in itself. It’s also helpful for the Chiefs that Suamataia has a cap hit of under $1.5 million and is under team control through 2027.

The Bears knew immediately what they had on their hands with Thuney, and decided to give him a three-year extension two months after his arrival. Given how good he looks in his first season in the Windy City, his tenure might extend a bit longer. Poles knows that’s the best return he’s ever going to see for a fourth-round investment.