Joe Thuney Bio
Joseph Thuney is an American professional football guard for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round (78th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft. Thuney is the first player in NFL history to start in the Super Bowl in each of his first three seasons, a remarkable run that helped establish him as one of the league’s most reliable interior linemen. Over the course of his professional career, he has won four Super Bowl championships and earned multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections.
Early Life and Background
Joseph Thuney was born on November 18, 1992, in Centerville, Ohio, to parents Mike and Beth Thuney. He was raised in Centerville alongside his brother Eric and sisters Monica and Megan, growing up in a close-knit household. Thuney attended Incarnation Catholic School before moving on to Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, where he was part of two Division IV state championship teams. As a senior, he was named Greater Catholic League Lineman of the Year and served as president of his senior class, reflecting both his athletic promise and his leadership off the field.
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches and listed at 301 pounds, Thuney developed into a highly recruited offensive lineman during his high school years. His combination of size, footwork, and intelligence made him an attractive prospect for college programs seeking a player with NFL potential.
Path to American Football
Thuney committed to North Carolina State University, where he played for the NC State Wolfpack from 2011 to 2015. He saw limited action during his freshman year, but his redshirt sophomore season marked a turning point. He entered the year as the projected starting center but started the season opener at right tackle, moved to right guard in the second game, and finished the final 10 contests at left tackle, demonstrating rare positional versatility.
As a junior, Thuney started at left guard, and he shifted to left tackle during his senior year. In 2015, he became the first NC State offensive lineman to be named a First-team All-American since Jim Ritcher in 1979. He was also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which honors the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance, and he graduated from NC State cum laude in just three years. He later completed a Master of Business Administration at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington.
Joe Thuney Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
The New England Patriots selected Joseph Thuney in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft with the 78th overall pick. He won the starting left guard role out of training camp and started all 16 regular-season games, playing the highest number of offensive snaps of any Patriot that year according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He also started all three postseason games and was part of the Patriots team that defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in overtime to win Super Bowl LI. His strong debut season earned him a place on the PFWA All-Rookie Team at guard.
In his second season, Thuney returned to the Super Bowl with New England after the Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game, though they fell 41–33 to the Philadelphia Eagles. He then started all 16 games in 2018 and helped the Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams 13–3 in Super Bowl LIII. That appearance made him the first player in NFL history to start in the Super Bowl in each of his first three professional seasons. He played every offensive snap that postseason and helped contain Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
New England Patriots Era Continued (2019–2020)
In 2019, Thuney was named Second-team All-Pro, continuing his rise among the league’s top interior linemen. The Patriots placed the franchise tag on him in March 2020, and he signed the tender shortly thereafter. During the 2020 season, with starting center David Andrews on injured reserve, Thuney was pressed into service at center for New England’s Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, further highlighting his positional flexibility. He played for the Patriots from 2016 through 2020 before departing in free agency.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2021–2024)
Joseph Thuney signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 18, 2021. He continued to play left guard in Kansas City and was part of the team that reached Super Bowl LVII, where the offensive line gave up zero sacks in a 38–35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The win delivered his third Super Bowl ring and his first with the Chiefs. In 2023, he was named First-team All-Pro, though a pectoral injury in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills sidelined him for the rest of the playoffs. The Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl LVIII 25–22 over the San Francisco 49ers, earning Thuney his fourth championship.
Thuney was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list in July 2024 but was activated just 11 days later. During the 2024 season, he shifted to left tackle in Week 15 following an injury to D. J. Humphries, a position change that continued throughout the postseason. The Chiefs reached Super Bowl LIX, but Thuney gave up seven pressures and a sack as Kansas City lost 40–22 to the Eagles.
Chicago Bears Era (2025–Present)
On March 12, 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs traded Joseph Thuney to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He signed a two-year, $35 million contract extension on May 20, 2025, that runs through the 2027 season. In his first season as a Bear, the Chicago offensive line improved dramatically, dropping from 68 sacks allowed in 2024 to just 24 in 2025.
Thuney was named First-team All-Pro for a third consecutive season and earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection, becoming the first Bears interior offensive lineman to receive first-team All-Pro honors since center Jay Hilgenberg in 1989 and the first guard since Dick Barwegen in 1951. In the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Rams, he moved to left tackle after an injury to Ozzy Trapilo, with Jordan McFadden stepping in at left guard. At the 15th NFL Honors, Thuney received the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year Award.
Driving Style and Strengths
Thuney’s strengths lie in his combination of size, intelligence, and technique at the guard position. He is regarded as one of the steadiest pass protectors in the league, capable of handling elite interior rushers while also showing the lateral quickness to redirect in space. His experience at multiple positions, including center and tackle, gives coaches tremendous flexibility, and his football intelligence, sharpened by his MBA studies, helps him diagnose defensive looks quickly at the line of scrimmage.
Notable Events and Milestones
The defining milestone of Thuney’s career remains his three consecutive Super Bowl starts to open his NFL tenure, an unprecedented feat. He has added two more championship rings with the Kansas City Chiefs, bringing his total to four, and he stands as the first offensive lineman in NC State history to be named an All-American in more than three decades. In 2026, he was inducted into the NC State Football Ring of Honor.
Joe Thuney Career Wins
Joseph Thuney has built a résumé defined by championship-level success across multiple organizations. He has appeared in five Super Bowls, winning four, and has been recognized with All-Pro honors in four of his first nine professional seasons. He is also a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a former PFWA All-Rookie Team honoree, underscoring a career that has combined immediate impact with sustained excellence.
Super Bowl Highlights
Thuney won his first Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, a 34–28 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He added a second ring in Super Bowl LIII, a 13–3 defeat of the Los Angeles Rams, and captured his third championship in Super Bowl LVII with the Kansas City Chiefs in a 38–35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. His fourth ring came when the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII 25–22 against the San Francisco 49ers, even though a pectoral injury kept him off the field for the latter portion of that postseason run.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his championship pedigree, Thuney has earned First-team All-American and First-team All-ACC honors in 2015, four Pro Bowl selections from 2022 through 2025, and three consecutive First-team All-Pro nods from 2023 through 2025. He was also named to the New England Patriots All-2010s Team and the New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team, cementing his place in franchise history.
Joe Thuney Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Joseph Thuney was raised in Centerville, Ohio, by his parents, Mike and Beth Thuney. He grew up alongside his brother Eric and sisters Monica and Megan in a supportive family environment that helped shape his disciplined approach to the game.
Personal Life
Thuney completed his undergraduate degree cum laude from NC State in three years and later earned a Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington, reflecting a strong commitment to education alongside his NFL career. He continues to balance professional football with academic and personal pursuits rooted in his Ohio upbringing.
2025 Season Performance
In his first season with the Chicago Bears, Joseph Thuney helped transform one of the league’s most porous offensive lines into a reliable unit. The Bears’ sack total dropped from 68 in 2024 to just 24 in 2025, a dramatic improvement that coincided with Thuney’s arrival and his steady play at left guard. He was recognized with First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, becoming the first Bears interior lineman to earn first-team All-Pro recognition in decades.
Thuney also adapted on the fly when injuries forced positional changes late in the year, including a shift to left tackle in the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Rams. His versatility and poise were central to Chicago’s playoff push, and the trade that brought him to Chicago immediately paid dividends for a team looking to build around a strong offensive front.
Looking ahead, Thuney remains under contract with the Bears through the 2027 season, providing long-term stability for a franchise in the midst of a turnaround. With the offensive line now anchored by one of the league’s most decorated veterans, Chicago enters the offseason with optimism that the gains made in 2025 can carry forward into 2026 and beyond.
