Bears GM Ryan Poles hopes to sign Joe Thuney to extension after deals with Gordon, Edwards

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was glad to sign cornerback Kyler Gordon and linebacker T.J. Edwards to contract extensions.

One more player he would like to get a deal done with is guard Joe Thuney.

“Yeah, that’s definitely, I would say, one of the priorities moving forward,” Poles said on Tuesday.

The Bears acquired the 32-year-old Thuney from Kansas City in a trade in March, one of several moves they made to overhaul a shaky offensive line and give Caleb Williams the protection he needs. The quarterback was sacked a franchise-record and league-leading 68 times after being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick last year. The Bears hope that number goes down in a big way after reinforcing the line and hiring coach Ben Johnson.

Topping the list is Thuney. A nine-year veteran and an All-Pro the past two years, he played on two Super Bowl champions in New England and two more in Kansas City.

It’s not hard to see why Poles would want to extend him. But it’s not clear if Thuney feels the same way or would rather test free agency with his contract set to expire after the upcoming season.

Though he said he was “grateful to be here” and “pumped to play” in Chicago at a news conference following the trade, he sidestepped questions about a potential extension.

“I kind of let my agent handle all that. I just try and focus on the game and football, just getting ready for the season,” he said at the time.

Besides landing Thuney, the Bears acquired guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams. They signed center Drew Dalman, too, and might add another blocker with the No. 10 pick in the draft on Thursday.

Poles hasn’t ignored the defense, either, this offseason. The Bears added two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo. They also retained two key players by extending Gordon through 2028 and Edwards through 2027.

The 25-year-old Gordon was the first player drafted by Poles when he was taken in the second round out of Washington in 2022. He has five interceptions and 17 passes defended in three seasons.

Edwards, 28, signed with Chicago in 2023 and has had 284 total tackles, 14 quarterback hits and 6 1/2 sacks in that span. He set career highs with four sacks and 12 tackles for loss last season while starting all 17 games for the third year in a row. Edwards spent his first four seasons in Philadelphia after going undrafted out of Wisconsin.

“When you see a guy like that go from being undrafted and working himself into his first contract, elevating his game again and getting a second contract, I think that’s special and I think that motivates all the other guys that come in the door,” Poles said.

“And again, no one is more deserving than he is. Kyler as well. Really happy to get that done. Impact player for us. Ability to make plays all over the field in different phases. He’s a guy that I believe is ascending and will continue to grow when he gets into this new defense, I think his game can go to the next level as well.”