Bears guard Joe Thuney faces former Patriots team in Week 7
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The gist
Bears offensive guard Joe Thuney, a five-time All-Pro, faces New England, where he won two Super Bowls.
The reunion comes as Chicago's rebuilt line and quarterback Caleb Williams draw praise.
Background
Joe Thuney is a 33-year-old offensive guard for the Chicago Bears, a four-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and the reigning NFL Protector of the Year, an award for offensive line play. New England drafted him in the third round in 2016; he started all 80 regular-season games there and won Super Bowls LI and LIII before joining Kansas City in 2021 and Chicago via trade in 2025. The Bears host the Patriots in Week 7 at Soldier Field, making it a reunion with the team where his career began.
How it unfolded
- 2016The New England Patriots drafted Thuney in the third round, No. 78 overall.
- 2016 -2020He started all 80 regular-season games in New England and won Super Bowls LI and LIII.
- 2021After playing on the franchise tag, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an unrestricted free agent on a five-year deal.
- 2025The Bears acquired Thuney by trade and signed him to a two-year extension; he was a Pro Bowler, first-team All-Pro and won the inaugural Protector of the Year award.
- 2025 seasonChicago allowed only 24 sacks, the NFL's third-lowest total, and Thuney earned first-team All-Pro honors.
- Oct 20, 2026PFF listed Thuney with a 64.9 overall grade in 2026, 32nd among 77 qualified guards over 460 offensive snaps.
- Oct 21, 2026Pats Pulpit and CBS Sports published pieces ahead of Patriots-Bears Week 7 at Soldier Field, revisiting the Thuney trade.
- Oct 22, 2026Heavy reported on Tom Brady's 'Perfect Guard' facing the Patriots in the Bears matchup.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- CBS Sports wrote that the Chiefs did not move on from Thuney because of declining play, saying he was producing at a high level in his age-32 season.
- Praise
- Pats Pulpit called Thuney a future Hall of Fame inductee and the reigning NFL Protector of the Year and a captain.
- Caution
- A Week 6 update said Thuney has slipped from last year's standard, citing 12 pressures and two sacks allowed.
Still unverified
A Week 6 update claimed Thuney has slipped from last year's standard, noting he allowed 12 pressures and two sacks; the claim comes from a single source and is not corroborated in the other material.