There's a reason why the Bears almost immediately agreed to a contract extension with Thuney back in May. This machine-like dominance is why Thuney was one of three Bears players to earn AP NFL All-Pro honors in 2025 (his third consecutive first-team All-Pro award), and now he may earn an even higher achievement: the coveted Protector of the Year award. That kind of worst-to-first story will often weigh heavily on the minds of NFL award voters. Even if Thuney is not named the Protector of the Year, however, he is fully deserving of the honor. Poles hit a grand slam homerun when he traded for Thuney, and the Bears know they're lucky to have him.