Bears land All-Pro guard Joe Thuney—and a beloved ex-Chicago offensive lineman loves it

If anybody knows what it takes to succeed in the trenches of Soldier Field, it would be someone who succeeded in the trenches of Soldier Field.

Between 2013-2015—before injuries derailed what potentially could have been a Hall of Fame career—Kyle Long anchored the right side of the Chicago Bears’ offensive line, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl nods in the process.

So when Kyle tweets about the Chicago O-line, people listen. As well they should.

Long Time Coming

Almost immediately after the Chicago Bears stole, er, acquired All-Pro guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs, Long took to social media to praise the eminently praiseworthy move.

Fans will love Joe Thuney.
— kyle (@Ky1eLong) March 5, 2025

Teammates will love him more
— kyle (@Ky1eLong) March 5, 2025

Long can speak with authority about what Thuney is all about, as back in 2021, the two were sorta-kinda teammates in Kansas City…and we say “sorta-kinda” because due to injury, Long never took the field in his brief stint with the Chiefs.

But if Thuney had been able to share a line with prime, healthy Long, man, that would’ve been scary.

No Ordinary Joe

This isn’t a new take from Long, who's been on Team Thuney for years.

The former Oregon Duck publicly raved about the former North Carolina State Wolfpack stalwart well before today, telling the Athletic’s Nate Taylor in 2021, “If there’s one thing I (knew) about Joe Thuney before I even got to meet him, it was that he was tough, he was intelligent and he loves the game. He played under a tremendous offensive line coach, Dante Scarnecchia, in New England for the entirety of his career. I’ve seen him in joint practices before, and I know how he works.”

All that said, when Soldier Field opens for business in September, Chicago’s offensive trenches will look a whole lot different—and, if Kyle Long is on point, a whole lot better.