Inside how the Chicago Bears’ trade for Joe Thuney came together

According to a league source, granted anonymity to speak freely about a situation he otherwise isn’t authorized to discuss publicly, Poles’ longstanding relationship with Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was a catalyst in getting the Bears across the finish line in the Thuney sweepstakes.

“Teams realized that Kansas City had the highest-paid center and right guard in the league with no offensive tackles, and started inquiring,” the league source with knowledge of the trade discussions tells me. “I have to think that Brett Veach and Ryan Poles’ relationship helped a ton.”

Poles rose up the ranks in the Chiefs’ organization and worked alongside Veach from 2013 until becoming the Bears’ general manager in 2022, so it is easy to see how their rapport could have helped drive trade talks.

In Thuney, the Bears acquire a stalwart guard and one of the premier players at the position, coming off a season in which he only allowed six quarterback hits and didn’t surrender a sack.

Now, Poles and the Bears must get to work on deciding whether to extend Thuney beyond the final year of his $80 million contract, which he’s entering in 2025.

Trading for Thuney not only adds a centerpiece along an offensive line in the midst of a revamp after allowing 68 sacks last season but checks a major box for Poles in an offseason where the Bears can now dedicate resources via free agency and the draft to other pressing areas of need.