CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears finally found the anchor their offensive line had been missing for decades, and on Thursday night, the NFL officially recognized him as the best in the business. Joe Thuney, the veteran guard who transformed Chicago’s trenches overnight, was named the winner of the inaugural Protector of the Year Award at the NFL Honors ceremony.
For a franchise that surrendered a league-high 37 sacks in 2024, Thuney’s arrival wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a complete culture shift. In his debut season in Chicago, the 10-year veteran didn’t just stabilize the line—he perfected it. Thuney played 686 pass-blocking snaps and allowed exactly zero sacks.
Thuney’s dominance in the 2025 season is difficult to overstate. While pass protection is often viewed as a chaotic struggle, Thuney turned it into a science. Of the 65 NFL guards who played at least 300 passing snaps this season, he was the only one to keep a clean sheet in the sack column.
The numbers from Pro Football Focus (PFF) paint a picture of a player operating at a Hall of Fame level:
This wasn’t a case of a veteran hiding in a quick-pass offense. Thuney handled the fourth-highest workload of any guard in the league, consistently locking down the interior for a Bears offense that needed time to develop plays downfield.
“You don’t just see the stats, you feel them in the huddle. When Joe steps in, the pocket feels different. It feels clean. He’s the reason we could take those shots downfield this year. The guy is a brick wall with a high football IQ.” — Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Quarterback
The “Thuney Effect” on the Bears’ unit was immediate and drastic. In 2024, Chicago’s line was porous, giving up 180 pressures and ranking 21st in pass-blocking efficiency. Fast forward one year, and with Thuney anchoring the interior, the Bears allowed just 13 total sacks—tied for the second-fewest in the NFL.
The unit’s efficiency rating jumped to 87.7, the third-best mark in the league. It’s a collective achievement, but one that hinges on Thuney’s reliability. He even slid over to left tackle during critical moments in the postseason clash against the Rams, proving his value extends beyond just playing guard.
Thuney’s résumé is becoming impossible to ignore. He has now been a key cog in two separate dynasties (Patriots, Chiefs) and has capped his 10th season by winning the first-ever award dedicated solely to protection excellence. Since 2018, his 91.4 PFF pass-blocking grade is the highest of any guard in football.
With durability that borders on robotic—he has missed only two games in his entire career—and a trophy case that now includes individual hardware to match his Super Bowl rings, Canton seems like the inevitable next stop.
For the Bears, securing Thuney’s legacy with this award validates the massive trade and contract investment they made to bring him to the Windy City. As they look toward the 2026 season, the offensive line is no longer a question mark; it is the team’s undisputed strength. With Thuney under contract and playing the best football of his life, the Bears enter the offseason not looking for fixes, but looking to build on a foundation of dominance.
