The Kansas City Chiefs made a tough decision in the offseason, at least from an emotional and fan-favorite perspective. Moving on from Joe Thuney was a move that made sense from a financial standpoint, but it was still painful to watch him leave.
Even so, at the time, people praised Chiefs general manager Brett Veach for consistently finding ways to move around money to stay under the cap so he could address other areas of need. Fast forward to today, and it's pretty evident that the move wasn't a win at all.
The Chiefs Miss Joe Thuney in The Worst Way
There was never a doubt that Thuney was one of the best guards in the game. But now that he's helped turn the Chicago Bears' offense around, his impact on the team seems all the more evident.
Through the first eleven weeks of the season, the veteran left guard has posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 72.3, which ranks 12th among 80 eligible guards. He has the highest pass-blocking grade (85.4), the lowest pressure rate (1.1 percent), and the highest true pass set grade (76.2).
Andy Reid's team, in the meantime, has had to settle with Kingsley Suamataia as his replacement. He's logged a 64.2 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranks 31st in the league, and he ranks 27th and 38th in pass and run blocking grades, respectively.
Of course, Thuney's salary was always going to make it tough to keep him around. That being said, GMs always seem to find a way to maneuver around the salary cap to make things work when both parties want to keep their partnership together. You just don't move on from your All-Pro player unless you have a suitable replacement for him, regardless of his age.
The Chiefs are averaging 115.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks in the middle of the pack in the league. Of those yards, nearly one-third have come from Patrick Mahomes' scrambles. And while one may argue that they don't have a true workhorse running back, the Bears don't have that much more talent.
Still, with Thuney anchoring their revamped offensive line, Ben Johnson's team is now averaging the second-most rushing yards per game at 146.6. Veteran D'Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai have turned the corner in the past month or so, all while Caleb Williams is sitting in a clean pocket more often than not.
While we can't speak for all Chiefs fans, it seems safe to assume the majority wouldn't mind those type of results on the ground behind the blocking of Thuney.