The Kansas City Chiefs are bolstering the offensive line in front of Patrick Mahomes. According to his agent, Mike McCartney, former Patriots star left guard Joe Thuney will sign a five-year contract with the Chiefs. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network adds that Thuney's new deal with K.C. is worth $80 million, giving him a $16 million average annual salary.
Rapoport adds that the first two years of Thuney's deal are fully guaranteed at $32.5 million. The third-year is guaranteed only for injury but later converts to fully guaranteed in Year 2, which essentially means he could see up to $48 million guaranteed.
The 28-year-old began his career with the New England Patriots, who drafted him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of NC State. Upon arriving in Foxborough, Thuney proved to be an impact player on Day 1 and has since evolved into one of the better guards in the entire NFL.
He helped New England win two Super Bowl titles over his tenure and was named second-team All-Pro in 2019. Thuney was set to hit unrestricted free agency last offseason, but the Patriots elected to place the franchise tag on him and delaying his departure for another year. While New England reportedly expressed some interest in a reunion, it was widely assumed that the two sides would be moving on once he hit the open market.
According to Pro Football Focus, Thuney has allowed just three sacks in 1,733 snaps dating to 2018. Along with being one of the more talented players at his position, Thuney has also proven to be extremely durable, never missing a game in his pro career. Given that production, it's no wonder that Patrick Mahomes is quite pleased upon hearing this news.
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) March 15, 2021
Thuney's signing does come off the heels of the Chiefs releasing offensive tackles Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher so his arrival is one that was drastically needed to keep Mahomes upright in 2021.
