Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney is one of six finalists for the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award.

The new award, which will be handed out at the NFL Honors ceremony Feb. 5, will be given annually to the league’s best offensive lineman as decided by a panel of former All-Pro offensive linemen.

Along with Thuney, the finalists for the 2025 award are Denver Broncos tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz, Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey and Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell.

Thuney started all 17 regular-season games for the Bears at left guard. In the playoffs, he made the transition to left tackle for the divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams after starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Thuney was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection in 2025. This was his fifth All-Pro season and his third time making first-team All-Pro.

The Bears traded for Thuney in March, one of three moves they made to rework the interior of their offensive line along with trading for right guard Jonah Jackson and signing free-agent center Drew Dalman.

Thuney, 33, won two Super Bowls each with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He gave the Bears a veteran presence they hadn’t had on the offensive line in recent years, and his teammates voted him a team captain in his first season in Chicago.

After overhauling the offensive line, the Bears ranked third in the league in rushing, and quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked 24 times after taking a league-high 68 sacks in 2024.

The Bears should have some needed continuity, too, because all five starting offensive linemen are under contract for next season — although general manager Ryan Poles said last week that Trapilo’s rehab process is likely to go “deep into next year.”

“Proud of the way that they moved this year,” Poles said of his offensive linemen. “(I) look forward to them getting back to work and continuing to improve.”

Thuney has appeared in 163 regular-season games over his 10-year career, missing just two starts. Not long after trading for him, the Bears signed Thuney to a two-year contract extension that keeps him under team control through the 2027 season.

Among the six nominees for Protector of the Year, Bolles, Thuney, Humphrey, Meinerz and Sewell were all first-team All-Pro selections. Brewer was a second-team All-Pro.

Criteria for the award include advanced metrics, durability, quality of competition, weekly consistency and video evaluation.

The NFL Honors ceremony, held annually during Super Bowl week, typically has not featured many offensive linemen. No offensive lineman has ever won the MVP or Offensive Player of the Year awards.

“The offensive line carries the weight of the game,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent Sr. said in a statement announcing the finalists. “Durability, endurance, leadership and consistency define their work, even when the spotlight rarely finds them. Protector of the Year is about recognizing the vital role these tremendous athletes play and celebrating excellence where it starts, up front.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/29/chicago-bears-joe-thuney-protector/