By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Once the new league year opens on March 12th, a key part of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line will be on the move, heading to Chicago.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport the Chiefs are trading Joe Thuney to the Bears. In return Kansas City will get a fourth round pick in next year's NFL draft.
It's a significant move for both sides. Last year, Thuney turned into one of the most valuable players for the Chiefs, and in turn was named the teams's MVP by his teammates, after Thuney slid from left guard to left tackle midway through the season when it became clear he was the best option at that position.
For the Bears, it's the second trade they've have agreed to in the past 24 hours to beef up their offensive line to provide better protection for quarterback Caleb Williams. On Tuesday, the Bears agreed to a trade with the Los Angeles Rams to acquire guard Jonah Jackson.
Thuney, who will be 33 in November, signed with the Chiefs in 2021 after playing his first five years with the Patriots. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion, having won two with New England and two with Kansas City.
By trading Thuney, the Chiefs will save $16 million against the cap. Thuney is currently entering the last year of his contract and is set to make $15.5 million in base salary. Kansas City also franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith and has signaled that the club would like to sign him to a long-term deal.
Rapoport also responded to a post on X from Yahoo's Nate Tice, discussing the future of the left guard position. He emphasized that he expects former Chiefs second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia to be given a shot to play left guard in place of Thuney.
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