Chicago acquired Joe Thuney from Kansas City for a 2026…
Chicago acquired Joe Thuney from Kansas City for a 2026 fourth-round pick and received exactly the kind of stabilizing veteran it wanted. Thuney started all 17 games in 2025, earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, won the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award and helped the Bears win the NFC North. That immediate elite return supports a clear Chicago win.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Joe Thuney
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 2026 4th round pick (125th overall subsequently traded, Skyler Bell )
Trade Analysis
Chicago's decision to trade a 2026 fourth-round pick for Joe Thuney became one of the clearest immediate successes in this group. The Bears were rebuilding an offensive line around Caleb Williams and moved quickly when Kansas City made the veteran guard available. Thuney arrived with four Super Bowl championships and multiple All-Pro selections, but the value of the deal rests on what he did after the trade rather than merely on his résumé.
In 2025, Thuney started all 17 games at left guard, was voted to the Pro Bowl and earned Associated Press first-team All-Pro honors. He then won the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award. Chicago went 11-6, won the NFC North and earned its first postseason victory since 2010. The Bears' offensive line allowed 24 sacks, third fewest in the league, while the offense finished third in rushing. Chicago kept Thuney under contract for 2026, turning what began as a veteran acquisition into an important multi-season piece.
Kansas City received a 2026 fourth-round choice. The trade data tracks that selection to the No. 125 slot, which eventually became Buffalo receiver Skyler Bell after later transactions. Bell's career should not be credited to Kansas City from the Thuney deal; the Chiefs' direct return was the draft asset and whatever flexibility came from moving an expensive veteran. That return was legitimate, but it did not match Chicago's immediate on-field payoff.
The A-/C- split and Bears Win verdict are defensible. Chicago paid a Day 3 pick and received elite play at a premium position, leadership, durability and postseason impact. Kansas City chose future capital over retaining a decorated guard, but the Bears converted a relatively modest acquisition cost into one of the NFL's best offensive-line seasons. Unless later draft-chain value changes the picture dramatically, Chicago owns the stronger realized result.