Joe Thuney's extension is part of Bears GM Ryan Poles' plan to create consistency for Caleb Williams where other QBs in Chicago haven't had it
When the 2024 season ended for the Chicago Bears, realization set in for general manager Ryan Poles. He once again failed his starting quarterback with a half-measured roster construction on the offensive line.After hiring head coach Ben Johnson, who came from a team in Detroit built from the offensive trenches, the desire to get that […]
When the 2024 season ended for the Chicago Bears, realization set in for general manager Ryan Poles. He once again failed his starting quarterback with a half-measured roster construction on the offensive line.
After hiring head coach Ben Johnson, who came from a team in Detroit built from the offensive trenches, the desire to get that unit right around quarterback Caleb Williams only intensified.
"I think offensive line is certainly an area that we need to get better play from going forward, something that Ryan and I have already talked about," Johnson said when he was hired. "We will develop a plan of attack for how to get that done… I was certainly blessed the last few years with the men that I worked with [in Detroit]. And that was something I would love to replicate here as well."
The plan being put in place by Poles and Johnson was a strong one that began getting carried out even before the start of free agency. The Bears aimed to bring in like-minded individuals to overhaul the interior of the starting offensive line in a matter of days to get those guys working together as soon as possible.
"As an offensive line, you want to be a unit, see the game the same way, through the same set of eyes," left guard Joe Thuney said. "It starts early. It starts in OTAs and getting in the film room together and seeing the film together, seeing how we see things, then getting on the field and playing next to each other; seeing how we fit, how we communicate. A lot goes into it, but I think this group can be really good and [I'm] excited to meet all the guys and get going."
Thuney is the latest offensive lineman to receive long-term commitment from the team after inking a two-year extension, locking him in Chicago through 2027. Coming from two successful NFL dynasties, Thuney was the perfect player to lead the unit.
Another big box needed to be checked was having a strong-minded center, something Johnson and Poles identified as a top need in free agency, which is why the Bears targeted Drew Dalman as soon as the market opened.
Johnson added that the QB-center relationship is the most critical up-front. Those two positions need to see things the same way to help get the rest of the core locked in on any given play. It's a tough challenge but one Johnson is confident Dalman and Williams can handle together.
"Just having someone who embraces challenges—that's what the NFL is all about—is really exciting," Dalman explained. "It makes us feel like we're going to approach everything head on. And it's good to fail and good to be aggressive and all those things, because when you're working at your fringe, that's when you're going to improve the most. Feeling that from the top down is exciting."
As for Jonah Jackson, the guard acquired from the Los Angeles Rams to reunite with Johnson, it fills a major hole the offense has been missing for years. Jackson's physical nature and mentality gives the Bears two monsters on the right side. But, there's more that Jackson brings to the table, which led to an extension of his own.
“What I bring to the offensive line room, in a leadership role, is my work ethic, my effort and strain down-in and down-out,” Jackson said via Tyler Dunne. “I feel like my ability to gel the group together, we always used to joke around and call me the glue: Elmer’s Glue. Bringing the group together as a tough-nosed O-Lineman ready to work and protect the guy behind me.”
Interior OL deals line up with Caleb Williams' rookie contract
With Thuney, Dalman, and Jackson all signed (or extended), the Bears interior offensive front is secured for the next three seasons. A level of consistency in the middle that the Bears seemingly have never had before.
All three contracts also line up with Williams' 4-year rookie deal, an effort to maximize the rookie contract before having to pay the franchise quarterback.
"Everyone is excited about where Caleb can go," general manager Ryan Poles said. "We all know that there's a lot of growth that has to happen to get him to where he needs to be. But that excitement in terms of what he can be obviously helps get other coaches and players excited to be here and work with him and help get him to where he needs to be."
Improving from 2024 is a start, after Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times. Overhauling the interior of the offensive line while still having a secured right tackle in Darnell Wright and options at left tackle helps keep him up-right for years to come.
"You'd seen what happened last year," Jackson explained about Williams' sacks. "He'd taken a lot of hits. You got to build confidence in a young guy like that, in any quarterback, honestly. I feel like that's something we're able to bring to the table."
Just like what Ben Johnson built in Detroit with the Lions' offense, it starts up-front. Once that's taken care of, then the real fun begins in hopes of reaching a Super Bowl.
“It’s to win it all," Jackson added. "The Bears are such a historic franchise and they’ve been there before. We’re excited to be a part of a turnaround. I’ve been a part of a turnaround before and we can definitely do it again.”
Five lingering questions for the Bears heading into the first week of OTAs, including the availability of Colston Loveland
More football coming up this week.
