Grading the 2 Chicago Bears trades that reshaped their offensive line
1st & North: Free agency preview and a bold claim from Bears coach Ben Johnson
On this episode of 1st & North, we recap the NFL Scouting Combine, preview free agency, and discuss an eye-opening revelation from Bears coach Ben Johnson on how far he's willing to go to win.
In 24 hours, the Chicago Bears agreed to acquire veteran interior offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney in two separate trades that have reshaped the offensive line.
The price was far from steep. It only set the Bears' front office back two Day 3 NFL Draft picks. After all that, the Bears still have around $51.5M in cap space to use in free agency next week, too.
This is all in an exerted effort to keep quarterback Caleb Williams upright after he was sacked 68 times in his rookie season.
Here's how we grade the two Bears trades that overhauled their offensive line.
Chicago Bears acquire Jonah Jackson from Los Angeles
Compensation: 2025 Sixth-Round Pick
Grade: A
The instant returns on the trade for Jackson were interesting to see.
Some were all for the addition, as bringing in a player with a Pro Bowl on his resume to protect Williams can only be a good thing. Others pointed to how he was injured in 2024, will cost $17 million this season and never really fit in with the Los Angeles Rams.
Still, it's hard to think this trade is anything less than a win for the Bears.
Looking at the compensation, frame it like this: if the Bears were going to spend a sixth-round selection on an offensive lineman anyway, why not trade that pick for an established offensive lineman who the Bears know will make an immediate impact, as opposed to a player who has never played in the NFL before and only might make an impact in Year 1.
Going beyond the cheap price, Jackson had his best years with the Detroit Lions alongside now-Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Not only will Jackson understand what Johnson wants to do on the offensive line, but he can communicate that to the rest of the offensive line which can speed up how the line takes in Johnson's playbook. Having a player capable of translating Johnson's verbiage will be underrated come OTAs this spring.
Is $17 million for Jackson a high price? Yes. But, it's worth it when the Bears still have plenty of cap space left over and immediately upgraded their offensive line in the process.
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Chicago Bears acquire Joe Thuney from Kansas City
Compensation: 2026 Fourth-Round Pick
Grade: A+
Everyone knew the Bears needed to overhaul their offensive line, but it's a safe bet not many had them acquiring one of the most respected guards in the NFL in their rebuild.
Thuney was a fixture on the offensive lines in New England and Kansas City. His only issue was that he was too good.
By the time Thuney finished his first contract in New England, he had won two Super Bowls and played in three total. His move to Kansas City helped lift the Chiefs to two more Super Bowl wins for Thuney's resume.
Across 9,884 snaps in the NFL, Thuney has only been responsible for 31 accepted penalties. This means .003 percent of all Thuney's snaps are penalties. Thuney immediately becomes the best offensive lineman to don a Bears jersey since Kyle Long, who was a three-time Pro Bowler in his Bears career.
The last time a Bears' offensive lineman earned First-Team All-Pro honors was when Olin Kreutz earned the accolade in 2006.
Thuney was a first-team All-Pro the last two seasons. The Bears acquired him from Kansas City for a Day 3 NFL draft pick.
Even if Thuney isn't a first-team All-Pro player in 2025, he's an immediate upgrade at guard. Furthermore, he will have an immediate impact next to either Darnell Wright or Braxton Jones as the two young tackles continue to develop on the outside.
Considering all that, and the fact the Bears gave up a fourth-round draft pick for a player that could protect Williams at an All-Pro level, plus help change the culture within the Bears' locker room, and there's no way this trade can be looked at unfavorably for the Bears. It's the kind of move the Bears needed to make before; they've made it now to give Williams a chance to live up to his potential as the No. 1 overall pick.