The Kansas City Chiefs came up short in their quest for another championship and there were several changes as a result. This included several players that either were traded out of Kansas City or left for greener pastures and it will result in several familiar faces in new places as next season begins.
One departure that was instantly rewarded upon his arrival to a new team that has big expectations heading into next season. But while it may not be his fault in the end, he could be put into a situation where he becomes their biggest letdown.
Caleb Williams Could Make Joe Thuney the Bears’ Biggest Disappointment
Joe Thuney was involved in one of the Chiefs’ most surprising moves of the offseason when he was traded to the Chicago Bears. The Bears sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to Kansas City in return and immediately handed Thuney a two-year, $35 million contract extension after the trade was made.
The move is highly regarded as the Bears look to fix their offensive line and it should prevent Caleb Williams from getting sacked an NFL-high 68 times like he did in his rookie season. But while Thuney is a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, he may have been put in a bad situation.
The Bears offensive line was brutal last season, ranking 24th in Pro Football Focus’s final rankings for last season. But Williams was part of the problem, ranking third in the NFL with 38 created pressures according to PFF. In addition, no quarterback created his own sacks more than Williams, who led the NFL with 17.
It should be noted that Patrick Mahomes led the NFL with 50 pressures created and finished second with 16 sacks created. But Williams’s issues go beyond what’s happening on the field.
Williams, perhaps rightfully, not only threw the Bears staff under the bus, his father backed it up after stating “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die.” The Bears did the best to cater to Williams by hiring former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but even he admitted that helping his young phenom fulfill his potential will require more than just a better scheme.
“Early in the process we sat down and watched some tape from a year ago and we talked it through,” Johnson said. “It’s like, ‘Do we really want to? Is this what we want to look like or not?’ We come to an agreement, ‘No, it’s not, OK, we learn from it, we move onto the next thing.’ Body language is a huge thing. Demeanor. We don’t want to be a palms-up team where we’re questioning everything. No, no, no – to me that’s a little bit of a sign of weakness. We don’t want to exhibit that from anybody on the team.”
Adding Thuney, who is a four-time Super Bowl champion, could go a long way toward changing the culture in Chicago. But if things go wrong, what’s to stop Williams from pointing the finger again? It’s also concerning heading into an age-33 season where the cliff can come quickly for an offensive lineman.
That could leave Thuney in a tough situation and perhaps a scapegoat if the Bears don’t fulfill their expectations next season.