The latest round of NFL ranking season brought a little more clarity to the Bears’ offensive line picture, and it put Joe Thuney exactly where a lot of people around the league would argue he belongs.
In SI.com’s top-10 offensive linemen list, Thuney landed at No. 1 overall. That came after ESPN had already slotted him at No. 5 among interior offensive linemen, where he was the fourth-highest-rated guard in the ranking. Darnell Wright also showed up in both sets of rankings, giving Chicago two linemen on each list.
Wright checked in at No. 10 on SI.com’s list, with the explanation centered on how quickly he has become a force for the Bears. He was selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2023 draft, has started 49 games across his first three seasons, made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in Year 1 and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2025.
His rise last season helped fuel a Bears run game that averaged 144.5 rushing yards per game, third in the NFL behind only the Bills and Ravens. Wright also posted the sixth-highest run-block grade, an 85.6, among 89 qualifying tackles according to PFF, while helping keep Caleb Williams from getting hit too often; Williams was sacked just 24 times, the third-fewest among quarterbacks who started all 17 games.
Thuney’s case was even stronger. SI.com called him “The most accomplished offensive lineman in the NFL,” noting that he earned first-team All-Pro honors for the third consecutive season in 2025 and made his fourth straight Pro Bowl.
His résumé stretches back to his days as a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2016. He spent five seasons in New England, then four more with the Chiefs, and along the way collected four Super Bowl titles while blocking for Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
After joining the Bears in 2025, Thuney helped push them back to the playoffs for the first time in five years. In Chicago, he was central to the jump the offense made up front, finishing second in pass-block win rate and third in run-block win rate. The Bears finished third in rushing yards and fourth in EPA per rush at plus-.06, and Thuney was named the NFL’s inaugural Protector of the Year.
For a player listed as a guard, calling him the best offensive lineman in football might sound bold. But with the hardware, the production and the way he’s still playing, Thuney has earned his place in that conversation.
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