Joe Thuney is no longer with the Kansas City Chiefs but his bank balance is going be thanking him in the next few years.

The 32-year-old has signed a two-year contract extension with his new team, the Chicago Bears, meaning he can make up to $51million across the next three seasons with $33.5m fully guaranteed.

Thuney swapped Kansas City for Chicago earlier in the offseason in a trade that got the Chiefs a fourth-round pick.

The four-time Super Bowl winner is a key addition for new Bears coach Ben Johnson and will be tasked with protecting Caleb Williams ahead of his second season in Chicago.

Last year, Thuney proved his value via his versatility in a move to left tackle with the Chiefs. 

And while Kansas City’s struggles in the offensive line ultimately proved their downfall when they lost the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles, Thuney was one of the standouts for the Chiefs in their run to the showpiece game of the season. 

Joe Thuney has signed a lucrative two-year contract extension with Chicago Bears

The 32-year-old Thuney’s new deal sees him make a guaranteed $33m in Chicago

Thuney was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016 and became a teammate of Tom Brady’s under the guidance of Bill Belichick.

He went into free agency in 2021, which is when Andy Reid swooped and brought him to Kansas City. 

Thuney was entering the last season in his five-year, $80m Chiefs deal when he was traded to Chicago. 

The Bears were at the center of some controversy last week when a bombshell new book written by an ESPN reporter claimed quarterback Williams didn’t want to be drafted by Chicago in 2024. 

Extracts from a new book by Seth Wickersham detailed fears Williams had about being picked by Chicago – claiming his preferred choice was Minnesota Vikings. 

‘Do I want to go there? I don’t think I can do it with Waldron,’ Williams reportedly told people around him about the then-Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

‘I need to go to the Vikings,’ the book says Williams told his father, Carl, after a meeting with Kevin O’Connell at the NFL combine.

Carl was said to be in agreement with his son, reportedly telling multiple agents in the run-up to the draft: ‘I don’t want my son playing for the Bears.’

The quarterback out of USC is said to have changed his mind after a visit to Chicago, telling his dad: ‘I can do it for this team. I’m going to go to the Bears.’

Remarkably though, Williams was right to be concerned. The Bears endured a 10-game losing streak in his rookie season in a run that saw Matt Eberflus fired as head coach, with Waldron also departing.