Life has been difficult for the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. The Packers finished with a respectable 11-6 record last season but were buried in the standings as the Detroit Lions finished 15-2 and the Minnesota Vikings were 14-3. The Packers’ reward was a loss to the future Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, but Green Bay may have more to worry about in 2025.
The Chicago Bears are hoping to build off their Week 18 upset at Lambeau Field and have made plenty of moves to make that happen. While the arrival of former Ben Johnson as head coach is one bad hand, the Packers were dealt another when the Bears announced some news on Tuesday morning.
Bears Sign All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney to Two-Year Extension
The Bears announced that they have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with guard Joe Thuney. The two-time All-Pro will receive $17.5 million per season with the new deal and bring his total compensation to $51 million over three seasons, with $33.5 million fully guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Compensation update: New Bears guard Joe Thuney is receiving a two-year contract extension at $17.5 million per year, per source, making it $51 million for the next three years with $33.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. pic.twitter.com/seTuZxmirN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 20, 2025
Thuney’s extension is another step in the Bears’ overhaul in the trenches. Chicago sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire Thuney in March, and also sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for Jonah Jackson on the same day. The Bears also signed center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract in an effort to fix an offensive line that ranked 24th in Pro Football Focus’s final offensive line rankings for last season.
This is bad news for the Packers as they look to compete in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions didn’t make many splash moves outside of cornerback D.J. Reed this offseason, but are still the favorites to win the division. The Vikings will be turning to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but have surrounded him with talent, including free agent pickups Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave.
If the Bears’ moves work out this offseason, they could be another threat to the Packers in 2025. That would make competing in the NFC North even more difficult and could leave Green Bay feeling black and blue for the next three seasons.