The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538921
38 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN fter appearing in six Su- per Bowls and winning four rings in his first nine NFL seasons, former NC State offensive lineman Joe Thuney is set to em- bark on a new adventure, albeit not by choice. Last season, Thuney was one of the key players on Kansas City's offensive line, moving from guard to tackle for the dura- tion of the postseason following an injury to another lineman. He helped the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl for the third con- secutive season and hoped to be part of a history-making performance, with the team looking to become the first ever to win the game three years in a row. But in a rematch with Philadelphia, their opponent two years earlier, Thuney and company came up short of their goal. The Eagles romped to a 40-22 victory, in large part because they were able to keep quar- terback Patrick Mahomes under pressure all night, totaling 6 sacks and holding the Chiefs off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter. On the heels of that loss, coach Andy Reid and his staff set out to remake their offensive line, both via the draft and through free agency. The 32-year-old Thuney was swept up in their overhaul, with the team shipping him off to the Chi- cago Bears in March for a fourth-round draft pick in 2026. For the first time in his career, Thuney will not be playing for one of the NFL's premier teams. The Bears compete in what may be the league's toughest division, the NFC North, which last year sent three teams — Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay — to the playoffs. Heading into the opening weekend of the 2025 season, there were 15 teams with better odds of winning the Su- per Bowl than Chicago at +4000, per the BetMGM sportsbook. However, under the direction of first-year coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have been cited by some ob- servers as a team on the rise. There's been talk of Chicago making its first play- off appearance since 2020 and maybe even contending for its first division title since 2018. Thuney is set to be an integral part of what comes next for the team, which opens its campaign Sept. 8 with a visit from the Vikings. He signed a two-year, $35 million contract to make Chicago his new home for the foreseeable future. For Thuney, committing to the Bears was an easy decision once he arrived at Halas Hall and saw everything the fran- chise had to offer. "As the days rolled into weeks, you real- BEAR BEAR MARKET MARKET Veteran Guard Joe Thuney Hopes To Lead A Revival in Chicago A Thuney will be looking to help Chicago reach the playoffs after a four-year absence. The four-time Super Bowl champ was traded to the Bears in March after four seasons in Kansas City. PHOTO COURTESY CHICAGO BEARS