Bear Digest

4 takeaways from Chicago Bears' massive trade for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney

Free agency has not yet officially begun but Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles is wasting no time in building a powerhouse offensive line to protect quarterback Caleb Wiliams.

Pete Martuneac

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It's been a busy week of trades for the Chicago Bears, and free agency hasn't even begun. On Tuesday, GM Ryan Poles traded a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the LA Rams for guard Jonah Jackson. Then Poles topped himself with a blockbuster trade on Wednesday, bringing in 4-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney in exchange for just a future fourth-round pick.

What does this mean for the Chicago Bears? Here are four takeaways.

1. Ryan Poles means business

Ryan Poles understood the assignment. He simply had to come away from this offseason with a seriously revamped offensive line to give Caleb Williams the protection he needs to blossom into a star quarterback. Trading for Jackson was a nice first step in that direction; this trade for Thuney is a Michael Jordan slam dunk from the free-throw line. No notes.

2. The Bears still have all four of their Day 2 draft picks

Amazingly, the Chicago Bears did not have to part with a pick in the Top 100 to land either Jackson or Thuney. This means the Bears still have ample ammunition in the 2025 NFL Draft to improve the team even further than it already is.

3. Expect a hefty extension soon

Thuney may be on the wrong side of 30, but at just 32-years-old he still has a few years left in the tank. With just one year left on his contract from Kansas City, expect a generous contract extension from Ryan Poles to be coming down the pipe.

4. The odds of Ashton Jeanty becoming a Bear just skyrocketed

Many mock drafters have had the Bears locked into selecting an offensive lineman at 10th overall, and they still might do so. But by trading for Jackson and Thuney in back-to-back days, this opens the door to Chicago having the flexibility to simply draft whoever the best player on the board is. By all accounts, that is likely to be star running back Ashton Jeanty.

It's not a lock, of course. But mock drafters might want to start considering other position groups for the Bears in Round 1.

Joe Thuney
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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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