Bears' Joe Thuney Proves He's Still Among the NFL's Elite in Latest Ranking

The Chicago Bears' offensive line had been a disaster up until the 2025 NFL season, consistently ranked near the bottom of the league. But general manager Ryan Poles has since invested heavily in this unit and the results speak for themselves. One day after Darnell Wright ranked among the best offensive tackles, Joe Thuney has landed as a Top 5 interior offensive linemen despite nearing his 34th birthday.

Father Time's got nothing on Joe Thuney

Every year, ESPN anonymously polls various NFL coaches, executives, and scouts to get a consensus of the best players at each position group. When it comes to the Top 10 interior offensive linemen for 2026, Joe Thuney came in at No. 5. "He kicked our [butt] last year," said one NFL defensive coach.

What makes Thuney's inclusion on this list so impressive is his age. He's three years older than the next oldest player on this list, the Colts' Quentin Nelson, but ranked higher than guys nearly 10 years his junior. Father Time seems incapable of slowing Thuney down, and a big reason for that is the way Thuney plays.

Thuney was never the fastest or the quickest offensive lineman. Instead, he plays with a ruthless, machine-like efficiency and consistency. His footwork is always perfect. His hand placements are precise. His football knowledge is so complete that he can't be hoodwinked by disguised blitzers. "He's losing a little lateral quickness, but he's so technically sound and tough and sturdy and stronger than you'd think that it doesn't really matter," said one NFC executive.

Just last week, Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, called Joe Thuney the perfect guard, and his reasoning behind the compliment mirrored what that anonymous NFL executive said. "Joe was like, I think, a third-round pick for us," Brady said. "Joe just came in and he embraced all [the changes]... he was just the perfect guard. Size, strength, probably didn't have the longest arms but it didn't matter."

Remember, these were the thoughts Brady had about Thuney when he was just starting out as a rookie 10 years ago. Despite the passing of time, Thuney remains as dominant as ever, winning the NFL's inaugural Protector of the Year award in 2025.

What does Joe Thuney's future hold for the Bears?

Despite Thuney's impressive longevity, at some point even the very greatest players have to hang it up and retire. That time will come for Thuney, but that's not likely to be anytime soon. His contract extension with the Bears ties him to the team through the 2027 season. That would put Thuney at 35, and as long as he still wants to play football, he should still be good enough for the Bears to sign to one more short contract.

Of course, Thuney may want to retire by then, or perhaps he'll choose to return to New England or Kansas City. While keeping a future Hall of Fame guard should be a top priority for the Bears, they also need to plan for a successor. That's where one highly paid undrafted free agent, former Wyoming guard Caden Barnett, could prove invaluable.

But that's for the future. For now, the Bears and their fans should simply appreciate witnessing one of the greatest guards in NFL history protect their quarterback for the next two years.

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