Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers my question:
Joe Thuney has not been extended and is still on a one-year deal. Is it at all possible that the Bears will retain him for the year, groom someone younger behind him and try to use the compensation system to recoup their draft pick in 2027? — Tom S.
I suppose your scenario is possible, but I seriously doubt the Bears acquired Thuney with a plan to play him for only one season. Then what? Back to the drawing board for a starting spot on the line — assuming the other four starters play at the desired level and remain healthy? That doesn’t seem like a great plan to me, especially if the Bears wind up with Braxton Jones or Kiran Amegadjie at left tackle with the knowledge they’d have to reevaluate that position in 2026 if neither one takes a significant step forward. Now you’re talking about having to replace the left side of the line next March. We’ve seen that movie before, haven’t we?
If the Bears thought Thuney had only one season of high-level play remaining, they probably wouldn’t have made the move for him. In the event they are considering this as an option, you should know the highest compensatory draft pick they could receive for Thuney would be a fifth-round pick in 2027. The league caps comp picks at Round 5 for players with 10 or more years of service, and this will be Thuney’s 10th season.
My hunch is the Bears will look into a possible extension for Thuney. The fact one hasn’t been completed yet is neither surprising nor concerning. The front office has been busy with free agency and draft preparation. It takes two to get a deal done, so obviously Thuney would have to want to sign an extension.
I’m appreciative of the thoughtful response to this question.
I had no idea that the league caps the compensatory picks for players with 10 years of service or more. My assumption is that this is supposed to give more freedom of movement to players who have earned that right through long-term service.
Having said that, I still think this is a debatable point.
Yes, if you only keep Thuney for one year, you take the chance that you’re back where you started. But if I’m climbing into the mind of GM Ryan Poles (a scary thought), surely I’m thinking that sometime in the next two years I can find a young guard in the draft, right? Ultimately, isn’t that the goal? You’re always trying to get younger, and Thuney could be a progress blocker to a younger, cheaper prospect at a time when the Bears are thinking about extending QB Caleb Williams.
And let there be no doubt about it. They will be extending Williams almost no matter what the cost. The only real question will be whether he wants to stay in a dysfunctional organization that completely botched (at the very least) his first year of development.
Under those circumstances, how much cap space do you want to be tied up in your offensive guards?
I’m sure Thuney has a lot left in the tank. And I’d love to be able to see him in there for a few more years so that we could all just have one less position to worry about. If the Bears decide to go in that direction, it would be perfectly fine with me. But I’m not convinced that they think that they can afford it.