Reacting to the Kansas City Chiefs' Signing of Guard Joe Thuney
The Kansas City Chiefs have begun the total rebuild on their offensive line by signing former New England Patriots left guard Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million contract. The Arrowhead Report Roundtable reconvenes to discuss the signing.
Joshua Brisco: Admittedly, I feel like I'm judging an incomplete test at this point. If the Chiefs stop their offensive line rebuild here, it won't be nearly enough. If they sign Rodney Hudson (which they should explore) and a starting-caliber left tackle, it will have been a great first step. Ultimately, I'm a bit lukewarm on the deal, at least until we see what comes next. Thuney will absolutely make the o-line better, but the impact of an individual guard in a still-questionable line is somewhat limited.
Tucker Franklin: Overall, Joe Thuney is a great place to start the rebuild for the Chiefs' offensive line. While the price point was a bit higher than desired, it will be worth it to have a top-five left guard. Thuney has a track record of reliability and consistency, two things the Chiefs haven't had at that position in recent years. His veteran presence will be crucial to developing future linemen if Kansas City elects to fill the vacancies with rookies.
Jordan Foote: Paying top dollar for an elite-level guard is a solid move by the Chiefs. Protecting Patrick Mahomes is clearly a priority and there aren’t many players better-suited to do that than Joe Thuney. He’s still young enough to be amazing throughout the entirety of his contract and by the end of it, no one will be complaining about the price tag. Another win for the Chiefs.
Conner Christopherson: With an offensive line in tatters and no real veterans going into free agency, a signing like Joe Thuney made sense. Thuney has been a top-five guard since he has entered the league and provides the Chiefs with a piece to build the new offensive line around. The money is steep, setting a new high for guards, but that is the price you have to pay sometimes for great offensive line help in free agency.
Sam Hays: Is it an overpay? Yes. Is it an overpay at a position that you probably shouldn’t pay top dollar for? Yep. Is it still fine with me? Absolutely. Joe Thuney has been one of the best guards in the NFL for a few years now. He doesn’t get beat often, and when he does, it’s almost never a catastrophe. Thuney has been one of the two best pass-blocking left guards in two of the last three seasons by Pro Football Focus grading and, really, someone who should be very thankful for this deal is Chris Jones, because you could argue no other guard has given him as many issues as Joe Thuney. Thuney has had an 80+ pass blocking grade in three of four games played against the Chiefs since 2018. Now he’s with the good guys. Left guard is now locked in for KC for the next five years.
Mark Van Sickle: Joe Thuney was one of the top offensive linemen available in this free agency class. He doesn’t take up much cap space this season and the Chiefs can continue re-tooling this championship-caliber team so they can get back to the Super Bowl and become champions again. Big win for the Chiefs!
Jacob Harris: Big boy block good. Keep Patrick safe. Make lots of money.
Read More: Kansas City Chiefs Sign Guard Joe Thuney
