Joe Thuney signing: Overlooked aspects of K.C. Chiefs big acquisition

When the news came across the transaction wire that the K.C. Chiefs had signed free agent offensive lineman Joe Thuney to a five-year contract worth up to $80 million, it immediately became one of the biggest signings of the NFL offseason and will likely serve as the Chiefs’ keystone acquisition of the year. With the news, one of the biggest prizes available was claimed by a Super Bowl contender who very recently had very little working capital for such a move.

Every big move like this creates a resulting splash. Headlines are generated. Press conferences are held. Fans get excited. That splash then creates a ripple effect, and the movement ends up affecting a bit more than we might originally expect. That’s certainly true of the signing of Joe Thuney by the Chiefs.

With the signing of Thuney, several more areas of the club were affected than just a team adding an expensive part to the offensive line. To break down the signing and the myriad ways it’s going to change the Chiefs roster and organization, let’s take a look at what’s or who is being affected for better (or for worse)—often in ways overlooked.

Offensive leadership

Just a week ago, the Chiefs made the difficult decision to release left tackle Eric Fisher and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz after a combined 13 seasons with the team. In that single move, the Chiefs might have saved themselves millions in salary cap space and moved on from aging injury concerns at key positions. However, they also created a serious leadership vacuum along the offensive line.

With the signing of Joe Thuney, there is now a new veteran leader in a room that will look a lot younger in 2021 and beyond. Thuney has been to the mountain and back again after winning Super Bowls on two occasions with the New England Patriots. He’s an ironman in the mold of Schwartz who has started every single game in his NFL career ever since he was drafted in the third round back in 2016—that’s 80 regular season games and 10 postseason contests as well.

Those sort of credentials go a long, long way in the locker room. Thuney has protected the blindside of Tom Brady for several years and now he’s tasked with the NFL’s next great quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. This job certainly isn’t too big for him, and he’s going to make sure his teammates are up for the job as well. The Chiefs now have their go-to veteran in place for the next half decade in the trenches up front.