Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor said something at Halas Hall on Sunday that stuck. The Bears’ offensive coordinator was talking about Joe Thuney, and he admitted that even he has to remind himself to actually watch the guy play. “Nothing pops,” Taylor said. “Joe didn’t get beat. You almost forget that those two guys were playing because Joe just eliminates somebody instantly.”
That’s Thuney in a nutshell. Eleven years into an NFL career that’s produced four Super Bowl rings, and the highest praise anyone can offer is that he’s boring to watch, in the best possible way.
I was in the room Sunday when Thuney met with reporters at training camp, and Taylor’s comments came out of that same media availability. Between the two, you get a pretty complete picture of what the Bears have in their left guard heading into year two of the Ben Johnson era.
The Resume Speaks for Itself
Thuney, 33, came out of NC State as a third-round pick of the Patriots in 2016, 78th overall, the kind of pick nobody remembers until the guy’s played in six Super Bowls. He won two of them in New England, then signed with Kansas City in 2021 and won two more. When the Chiefs traded him to Chicago in March of 2025 for a fourth-round pick, it was one of those deals where you knew immediately the Bears had gotten the better end of it. Sure enough, Thuney walked in and won the NFL’s first-ever Protector of the Year Award in his first season at Halas Hall, helped the Bears to their first real playoff run in 15 years, and the team locked him up with an extension before he’d even finished unpacking.
A Role That Keeps Evolving
Now he’s back for year two, and I asked him directly how his role has changed from last season to this one, whether it’s evolved at all, or whether he’s still just doing what he’s always done. His answer told you everything about why he’s lasted this long. “Just trying to set a great example, be a leader,” he said.
“I played in a lot of different situations, a lot of different teammates. And I think when guys approach me or ask or talk about different things that happen throughout the season, the ups and downs, trying to keep a steady course. But at the end of the day, just try and be the best left guard I can be, be the best offensive lineman I can be, and help the O-line room as much as I can.”
No ego in that answer. Just a guy who knows his job and does it. That humility is part of what makes him special. Guys with four Super Bowl rings don’t usually talk like they’ve still got something to prove, but Thuney does, and it’s clear that’s exactly why he’s lasted this long.
He got a little more reflective on last season’s run, too, the Bears getting back to the playoffs, winning the NFC North, all the things Chicago fans hadn’t seen in a decade and a half. “It’s special seeing so many videos after the game of families hugging and crying together,” Thuney said. “The Chicago Bears are such an iconic franchise, and it’s great being back in the playoffs. But there’s still more things to achieve, and I don’t think anybody in this building is satisfied.”
There’s a version of that quote that sounds like coach speak. Coming from Thuney, it doesn’t. This is a guy with four championship rings telling you the job isn’t finished, and you believe him, because his whole career has been an exercise in never being finished.
He talked about the left tackle competition still playing out beside him, a rotation of guys getting reps, and how he handles it. “Regardless of who’s in there, I try to communicate as well as I can,” he said. “Try to get the run fits as consistent as I can so that it feels the same for everybody.” That’s the veteran move. You don’t get rattled by change next to you, you just make sure the operation stays the same.
And he made a point of crediting the guy next to him on the other side, too. Garrett Bradbury, his old teammate from the Patriots days, is now snapping to him in Chicago. “It’s crazy after all these years being back together now,” Thuney said. “He’s really smart, he communicates so well. He’s been great from day one, and it’s fun playing next to him.”
Ben Johnson on the Offensive Line’s Depth
Head coach Ben Johnson made a point of praising the offensive line group earlier in camp, too. Asked about the progression of the line, he pointed to the experience Thuney and his fellow linemen bring to the room. “I didn’t even realize this, but the other day Coach Roushar told me we’ve got 11 guys out of the 16 in there right now that have played snaps in regular season games, which is crazy to think about,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of experience even though we do have some youth in there and it’s going to be a heck of a competition. I’m looking forward to it. We’ve got our tackle play. We’ve got a lot of guys that are in the mix there. Then interior, I feel really strong about where we are there as well. We’re going to have some tough decisions when it comes down to it, but we won’t be able to gauge that until of course the next couple of weeks once we really get going.” That’s the kind of depth and experience Thuney’s presence has helped create up front.
Press Taylor on Thuney’s Professionalism
As for Taylor, he couldn’t stop talking about the professionalism, not just the play. Here’s the full quote on Thuney, because it’s worth reading in full.
“Often. And honestly, you have to go back and be like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to remember to watch Joe.’ Because nothing pops. Joe didn’t get beat. You almost forget that those two guys were playing because Joe just eliminates somebody instantly. You’ve got to go back and really appreciate what he just did there. He’s got really, really strong hands. That’s the one thing we talk about. When he gets his hands on guys, the rush kind of stops. The movement stops. It’s really impressive with what he’s able to do. But what’s also impressive is the professionalism he plays with. The other day we were just joking. We’re in a walk-through to get ready for Cleveland. The guys that are going to play in the game are walking through. Obviously, Joe’s not playing, so he’s on the scout team defense. And he’s out there running around, goofing off, like blitzing as a nickel. And Case Keenum was sitting there like, ‘This guy’s won six Super Bowls, and he’s over here having the time of his life playing scout team nickel in a walk-through right now.’ And so just you appreciate the professionalism, the look. It’s important to him to provide a good look for the young players, to kind of pour into them a little bit. And it’s really cool to see.”
The Bottom Line
That’s the piece that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. Thuney’s not just anchoring the left side of the Bears’ offensive line, he’s setting the tone for how a locker room is supposed to operate. Quietly, without fanfare, the same way he’s played the position for a decade.
The Bears have talent at receiver, they’ve got Caleb Williams continuing to grow into the offense, and Ben Johnson’s building something real at Halas Hall. But offensive line play wins in this league in ways that don’t always make the highlight reel. Joe Thuney has been proving that for eleven years now. Nothing pops. Nobody gets past him. And Chicago is better off for it.
with an assist from Claude tags: Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson, Press Taylor
