The Chicago Bears needed to do something drastic if they were going to fix their offensive line in 2025. You can’t give up 68 sacks and expect your young quarterback to thrive. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson got creative. They traded for Jonah Jackson, who’d worked with Johnson in Detroit, to start the process. However, the bigger surprise came around a day or two later when they pulled a shocker by trading a 4th round pick for All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney.
Many people couldn’t believe the Kansas City Chiefs made that deal. Despite being in his 30s, Thuney was still considered the premier guard in the NFL. Unfortunately, salary cap issues forced their hand. Chicago knew what the future Hall of Famer would bring to the locker room, and he didn’t disappoint. Not only did he give up zero sacks this season, but he also claimed All-Pro honors. This puts him in a position to become the first player in history to claim the new NFL Protector of the Year award.
Basically, it’s the offensive lineman MVP.
Joe Thuney would make landmark history.
The Protector of the Year award is a creation spearheaded by Buffalo Bills star left tackle Dion Dawkins. He has long felt offensive linemen don’t get enough attention for their impact on the game. Quarterbacks get the MVP. Wide receivers and running backs get the Offensive Player of the Year. Defensive players get Defensive Player of the Year. There has been nothing for blockers going back over a century. That is finally changing. To think a Bears offensive lineman has a chance to be the first to win it seems incredibly surreal after so many years of poor performance at that position.
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There is no telling how much longer Joe Thuney can go. He is 33 years old. The offensive line is a physical position that can take a toll on the body. Still, the way he plays the game makes you think he can maintain a steady level of performance for at least a few more years. The Bears already won the trade with what they got in 2025. Anything similar in the coming seasons is icing on the cake. Based on the contenders involved, the one name that could prevent him from winning is Penei Sewell from Detroit, and Thuney has the advantage of having made the playoffs.
