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The Chicago Bears entered the offseason knowing that they need help on their offensive line, and before free agency even opened, they already addressed the position. Over the past 24 hours, they have swung trades with the Los Angeles Rams for Jonah Jackson and the Kansas City Chiefs for Joe Thuney, shoring up both of their guard spots on their o-line.
The Bears still need a new center, but the bulk of the work of adding to their offensive line is already done before the new league year has even started. So let's take a closer look at these two deals and hand out some final grades, starting with their shocking acquisition of Thuney from the Chiefs.
Bears receive: G Joe Thuney
Chiefs receive: 2026 fourth-round pick
There's no sense in beating around the bush; this deal was a stunner. After the Chiefs went out of their way to slap the franchise tag on Trey Smith, who was expected to receive a massive contract offer from the Bears if he hit the open market, Chicago pivoted and ended up swinging a deal for Thuney.
Even after taking a closer look at this, it's tough for Bears fans to not be giddy about this move.
After becoming one of the most reliable guards in the NFL during his first four seasons with the New England Patriots, Thuney signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs.
He actually exceeded expectations, as he helped Kansas City win a pair of Super Bowls while also earning three Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors during his four seasons with them.
Thuney was so dominant in 2024 that he finished 10th in the Offensive Player of the Year voting, which is absurd for an offensive lineman. He had to play out of position at left tackle to help keep the Chiefs offense afloat down the stretch of the season, and while he faltered in Super Bowl 59, he should kick back to left guard now that he's with the Bears.
Chicago lands arguably the top guard in the NFL in this trade, and they only had to give up a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Sure, Thuney is in the final year of his contract, but he's shown no signs of regression to this point, making it mind-boggling that K.C. would rather deal him away for this minimal package than hand him another deal that will almost certainly be cheaper than what they will offer to the franchise-tagged Smith.
Even with Thuney and Jackson, the Bears still have more than $45 million of cap space at their disposal, making them a perfect team to acquire Thuney and promptly extend him on a three- or four-year deal.
The Chiefs' train of thought makes sense, but it feels like they bailed on Thuney prematurely, especially when considering their o-line needed help before this deal took place. Given the lackluster return, it's clear they are the loser here, earning them a poor mark on the trade.
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Bears final grade: A
Chiefs final grade: D+
Bears receive: G Jonah Jackson
Rams receive: 2025 sixth-round pick
Whereas the addition of Thuney is a home run for the Bears, acquiring Jackson involves a lot more risk. The veteran guard signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Rams last offseason.
However, he injured his thigh, struggled when he returned, and the Rams promptly benched him. The team allowed him to explore a trade, but his big contract initially made a trade seem unlikely.
The Bears took a chance with the trade for Jackson rather than just waiting for the Rams to release him and sending a sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft to the Rams.
The hope is that Jackson can rediscover his form that helped him earn a Pro Bowl selection back in 2021 during his time with the Detroit Lions. Of course, it's worth noting that Chicago's new head coach, Ben Johnson, was in Detroit during Jackson's stint with the team.
The big issue with this deal isn't so much what the Bears gave up but rather the financial aspect of it. Chicago is on the hook for the remainder of Jackson's contract, which will see him earn $17.5 million in 2025. Again, the Bears have the cap space available to absorb this deal, but it's telling that Los Angeles was willing to release Jackson after just one season.
Instead, they dumped his contract on Chicago in exchange for a sixth-round pick. It may seem insignificant, but there's no guarantee that Jackson will return to his Pro Bowl form for the Bears.
There's a chance a reunion with Johnson could be what Jackson needs to get back on track, but in a perfect world, Los Angeles would be on the hook for some of the money on Jackson's deal in case things go sideways.
Bears final grade: C
Rams final grade: A-
