It was obvious from the large bruise known as Caleb Williams’ body that the Bears needed help on the offensive line and that this offseason would be a huge opportunity to ensure that their quarterback wouldn’t be a brand ambassador for a wheelchair company in 10 years.
But if you’re like me, the little voice in your head said: “It’s the Bears. That means they’ll trade for a fullback and sign a safety through free agency.’’
Instead, they agreed to trades for two guards in a 24-hour span — the Rams’ Jonah Jackson, who played for new Bears coach Ben Johnson in Detroit, and the Chiefs’ Joe Thuney, a four-time All-Pro.
The job is not done, and there are as many questions about the two offensive linemen as there are answers. But this is a good start to the Johnson Era. Johnson probably will point to his putting together a coaching staff as the moment the clock started ticking on the Chicago chapter of his career. But new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle won’t be lining up to block a psychopathic defensive lineman. So let’s go with Wednesday’s trade agreement for Thuney as the point when the switch was flipped.
He’s 32, which is about 75 when you convert O-line years to regular-folk years. League history would suggest that he’s on the downside of his career and that the Bears’ decision to take on his $16 million salary for 2025 is a risk.
When offensive linemen are traded, it’s for a reason and not usually a good one. And when Chiefs coach Andy Reid, a three-time Super Bowl winner and a future Hall of Famer, trades an offensive lineman, you immediately check to see if your wallet is still in your pocket.
But that’s some serious overthinking. Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times in 2024. Every time he was hit, his spleen moaned at his kidneys, which howled back. Of course you’d rather not have a 32-year-old guard whose best years are likely behind him. Of course you’d rather not have a guard like Jackson, who is coming off a shoulder injury and who was benched in Los Angeles last season for unclear reasons. And of course the Bears should use the draft to build the offensive line.
But they need to improve the line any way they can. If you’re Williams, you have to be comforted by the idea of a talented veteran like Thuney blocking for you in 2025 rather than, say, a rookie out of Alabama — even if Thuney isn’t what he was five years ago. He’s only missed two starts in his nine-year career. Whatever body parts are going to fall off haven’t yet. According to ESPN, his pass-block win rate over the past two seasons is 97.8%, highest in the league. The biggest question: What poor souls had to watch every block of every NFL offensive lineman to determine that?
Joe Thuney’s versatility was on full display in 2024, as he was one of only two offensive linemen to play at least 200 snaps at both guard (850) and tackle (210).
At his primary position of left guard, Thuney allowed just a 4.4% pressure rate last season, which ranked 3rd-lowest… https://t.co/GFBdjFJ7a5 pic.twitter.com/ufWGnc3Ujx
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 5, 2025
These are heady times for a team that went 5-12 last season. Is this real optimism or is this the annual slobbering that comes with any hint of hope for the Bears? Probably both. The usual mood bump that comes with a new coach in Chicago arrived with Johnson’s hiring, only with greater intensity. That had to do with Johnson’s success as offensive coordinator with the Lions, who led the league in several categories last season. Much of the success has been attributed to his intellect and creativity, attributes that, on the surface, would seem transferable.
Williams isn’t yet Jared Goff, who completed 72.4% of his passes and had a 111.8 rating last season for Detroit. But someday?
That’s the hope, and, when it comes to the Bears in almost any offseason, hope tends to run amok. It looks a lot like streakers running down Michigan Avenue. Sorry for the imagery.
Somewhere in the middle of the enthusiasm meter is probably the place to be for the 2025 Bears. Williams, though talented, has a long way to go to become a great quarterback. Johnson has the experience and the know-how to help a young player get there.
The Bears ranked 28th out of 32 teams in scoring and 32nd in total yards in 2024. If Johnson can get them in the top 15 this season, he can probably walk on water, too.
General manager Ryan Poles still has work to do on the offensive line, and he needs to help get the defense to where it was supposed to be last year. There’s a reason the team won only five games, and it’s not just subpar coaching. There were a lot of subpar players on the field.
Suddenly, there aren’t as many. Theoretically.
