Joe Thuney helped transform the Chicago Bears this past season, playing a significant role in the franchise’s best campaign in more than a decade and a half. He is now being rewarded for his noteworthy contributions. The veteran left guard and four-time Super Bowl champion was named the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year at Thursday’s NFL Honors, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
Thuney earns recognition as the most impactful offensive lineman in the league, beating out a stacked field that included Penei Sewell, Garett Bolles, Aaron Brewer, Quinn Meinerz and Creed Humphrey.
The three-time First-Team All-Pro (last three years), who arrived in Chicago via a pivotal offseason trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, allowed zero sacks and just 15 total pressures in 686 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He also committed only two penalties in 1,149 total snaps.
If not for Thuney’s near-impenetrable play in the trenches, Bears head coach Ben Johnson would not have been able to implement his unique brand of offense. The 33-year-old also helped Caleb Williams make undeniable strides in his sophomore campaign and was a vital part of all those thrilling game-winning drives.
Joe Thuney will probably not be the first person most people spotlight when discussing Chicago’s celebrated turnaround, but diehard fans know what he did for the Bears in just his first season in the Windy City. The NFL Protector of the Year award properly commemorates the immense value he brings to the team.
Perhaps most importantly, No. 62 instilled new confidence within his teammates, applying all the lessons he learned while winning championships with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears still have hurdles to clear before seizing the Lombardi Trophy, but Thuney is one of the reasons why fans can even dream about such a thing.
The post Four-time champ becomes first-ever Protector of the Year Award winner appeared first on ClutchPoints.
