5 Chiefs Andy Reid Could Outlast After Contract Extension
By Joe Summers
2. Joe Thuney - LG
Widely regarded as the NFL's best guard, Joe Thuney is under contract for two more years. He'll be 33 at the end of his deal, so it's logical the Chiefs wouldn't sign him to another long-term deal. Thuney may sign a short extension, though he won't still be in Kansas City once Reid's contract is up.
He earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career in 2023, helping form one of the league's most dominant interior offensive lines. The Chiefs have a number of young players coming up for contracts over the next couple of years, and paying aging offensive linemen is typically not smart business when young players like Creed Humphrey, Trent McDuffie, and Nick Bolton, among others, all need extensions too.
On the flip side of the Chiefs game, some great runs. Isiah Pacheco's 26-yard jaunt was the best.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) December 5, 2023
Great pull by Trey Smith. Chiefs get the double with Wanya Morris and Joe Thuney. Travis Kelce with the seal on the inside, and Pacheco's patience and power does the rest. pic.twitter.com/jWDxCoNwna
Thuney's excellence stabilizes the Chiefs' line and gives Isiah Pacheco room to work and Patrick Mahomes time to throw. If Kansas City chooses to part with right guard Trey Smith after 2024, keeping Thuney for another year or two will become a priority.
However, he's not staying through the end of the decade. The Chiefs have historically done an excellent job developing offensive linemen and we'll likely see the team find Thuney's replacement over the next two seasons.
Even still, Thuney has three Super Bowl rings (one with New England and two with Kansas City) and should get one more large payday before he hangs up the cleats. The only question is whether it'll come from the Chiefs or not.