The Kansas City Chiefs know exactly why they lost last month’s Super Bowl, and they’re already moving to fix those issues.
The reigning AFC Champion-Chiefs came to an agreement with free agent guard Joe Thuney on a massive five-year deal, his agent Mike McCartney announced on Monday. The deal is worth approximately $80 million, with the first two years fully guaranteed ($32.5 million), sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Thuney had been with the New England Patriots for the first five seasons of his career, winning a pair of Super Bowl rings, and earning a Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2019.
How the Chiefs rebuild what turned out last year to be a calamitously built offensive line will be very important in predicting their success for next season. This big contract for Thuney on the first day of free agent negotiating shows Andy ‘The Walrus’ Reid and company know what their problem is and are moving quickly to fix it.
If they are able to build up an offensive line that doesn’t utterly kneecap their offensive game plan like the old one did at Super Bowl 55, their +500 odds to win the Super Bowl (888sport) next season are looking mighty enticing.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasted no time sharing his joy at Thuney’s arrival, replying to Schefter’s tweet announcing the Thuney signing just two minutes after it was posted with a trio of smiling emojis.
The line that Mahomes had in Super Bowl 55 was simply nowhere near where it needed to be to give the offense a chance at getting into its groove. Both starting tackles, Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher, have already been released, and interior lineman Kelechi Osemele, Austin Reiter, and Andrew Wylie are all slated to become free agents.
Thuney was a stalwart for the Patriots at left guard for five seasons, starting in three Super Bowls to begin his career while starting all 80 games. He was able to step in and play right tackle and center when the team needed it as well, versatility that surely added to his attractiveness on the open market.
Kansas City had five guys play at least 100 snaps at guard last season, so hopefully Thuney will bring them some consistency along an offensive line that has quickly gone from strength to glaring weakness over the past year or two.
We’d expect that Andy the Walrus will come up with the right line combination to get back to the big game and right the team’s wrongs 2021.
