The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a five-year deal with former New England Patriots guard Joe Thuney, bolstering an offensive line that entered the offseason depleted, agent Mike McCartney announced.
Thuney, a Patriots standout for the last five seasons, will earn $80 million over the duration of the contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Chiefs were faced with major question marks in the trenches after struggling mightily to protect superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV.
Kansas City created even more uncertainty up front in the lead-up to free agency, releasing starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. Fisher, a former No. 1 overall pick, tore his Achilles in the postseason, while a back injury kept Schwartz sidelined for most of the year.
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) March 15, 2021
Thuney started every game for New England after being selected in the third round of the 2016 draft out of NC State. He showed improvement throughout his career and solidified himself as one of the top left guards in the league over the last two years.
The Patriots reportedly kept tabs on Thuney but were longshots to keep him, considering they already have a logical replacement in Michael Onwenu. Onwenu played snaps left guard, right guard, and right tackle, and played well at all three spots during his rookie season in 2020.
