The Kansas City Chiefs took the fans by surprise when they traded Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears to kick off their offseason. Over the last four seasons in Kansas City, Thuney not only turned himself into one of the best offensive linemen in the league, but he also established himself as one of the most reliable team leaders.
Parting ways with a player of that caliber is always tough. Head coach Andy Reid acknowledged this fact when he addressed the reasons why the team decided to go the trade route and his emotions surrounding the decision.
Coach Andy Reid shares thoughts on Joe Thuney trade, future of Chiefs offensive line https://t.co/IHtcV7g6ZK
— Sports Daily KC (@SportsDailyKC) March 10, 2025
Chiefs News: Andy Reid Reveals Reasons for Joe Thuney Trade
Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star summarized Reid's comments from his appearance on "The Bettor Angle" podcast. Reid revealed how difficult it was to make the decision to trade Thuney. He admitted that it was a purely financial move since the Chiefs don't want to "push a ton of money forward" and that they have to manage the cap.
The 66-year-old head coach went on to say that Thuney remains one of his favorite players ever to coach. He added that the Bears are lucky to have him since he can "still play".
"He’s one of my favorite all-time guys that I’ve coached. You know that human part of it. You’re around him, and he’s just a good dude. I mean, just all-around a good dude. Tough, dirty, dirty tough. He’s going to do Chicago just heck of a job. I mean, he still can play"Andy Reid on Joe Thuney
Thuney was entering the final year of his deal with the Chiefs. With the trade, they save $16 million against the cap. If they restructured his deal or gave him a long-term extension, it could have complicated their books going forward.
While only getting a fourth-round pick in exchange for an All-Pro starter doesn't seem like enough, building a sustainable winner requires managing the cap and knowing when to move on from your key players. Let's hope that this was the right decision for the Chiefs.