Bears’ New $30.75 Million Duo Labeled ‘Biggest Impact’ by NFL
The Chicago Bears are finally doing what so many franchises fail to do when they take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick: support him.
It may sound odd, but the goal is actually to defend Caleb Williams, not only to provide him with offensive tools. Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney can help with that.
General manager Ryan Poles knew he needed to make some offensive adjustments after his team’s historically poor offensive line allowed Williams to be fired 68 times in the previous campaign. However, he took a different approach to it, choosing to trade before free agency even existed.
Just behind Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, NFL’s Tom Blair ranked Thuney (No. 3) and Jackson (No. 4) as the players who will have the largest impact on the 2025 NFL season.
Why Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson Are More Important Than You May Think
It’s simple to undervalue the significance of offensive line consistency in the highlight-driven NFL of today. However, pressure up the middle is the quickest way to destroy a young quarterback’s body and confidence.
Because of this, the purchases of Jackson and Thuney are more significant than most people realize, and Blair’s collapse highlights their possible influence in Chicago.
Adding teammates who will help a young QB perform better seems like a mind-numbingly simple thing to do — and yet, when it really happens, it can feel revolutionary.
Caleb Williams arrived in Chicago with lots of excellent alternatives to get the ball to, but the O-line was lacking. So the Bears went the trade market for Jackson and Thuney, who — together with newly signed center Drew Dalman — will be entrusted with beefing up Williams’ protection…
They should avoid ever having to ask if the Chicago coaching hire can “save” the current quarterback (or vice versa) if they keep the former No. 1 overall pick clean enough to actually live up to his potential.
If they do, I might just go back into this file and move Thuney and Jackson to the top.
Naturally, the goal of all of this is to help Williams become the superstar that everyone expects him to be.
The Data Supporting Chicago’s New Guard Pair
For those curious about salary figures, Jackson owes $14.75 million and Thuney $16 million for this season.
Thuney is as reliable as they come when it comes to their on-field performance, which is something the Bears haven’t seen in the last several seasons up front.
Last season, the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro saw more than 200 snaps at both guard (850) and tackle (210) positions. He was projected to start at left guard in Chicago and gave up the third-lowest pressure rate of any player at the position, 4.4%.
Although Jackson’s brief time with the Los Angeles Rams wasn’t his finest, his achievements in Detroit shouldn’t be discounted. He handled one-on-one blocks on 56.0% of his snaps between 2020 and 2023, which was the third-highest percentage among interior linemen during that time.
He has demonstrated his ability to compete, and now he will gain from being positioned between Dalman and Darnell Wright, a 2023 first-round pick.
Despite not being the most obvious offseason additions, Thuney and Jackson might end up being the most significant. In Chicago, their presence might be the difference between Williams surviving and thriving.
Isaac Zuniga is a sports reporter for Heavy.com who focuses on the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago Bears in the NFL. He also writes for LastWordOnSports.com on the Chicago Bears. Additional information on Isaac Zuniga
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