Joe Thuney could’ve played out the final year of his contract and tested free agency next year. Instead, he committed to the Chicago Bears for two more years.

The Bears acquired Thuney in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. He had just one year left on his current deal, which made signing him to an extension a priority for general manager Ryan Poles this offseason.

“Everyone’s pulling in the same direction,” said Thuney, whom the Bears traded for in March. “Everybody’s really determined to keep working and improving, and it’s kind of what I’m used to and it felt right. And then, you know, Chicago is a city, a franchise with, you know, so much history.”