The Chicago Bears have ensured that left guard Joe Thuney will be a part of the future and not an expensive one-year rental.

Two months after trading a 2026 fourth-round draft pick to the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire the three-time Pro Bowl selection, the Bears reached agreement Tuesday on an extension with Thuney.

They will sign Thuney — who turns 33 in November — to a two-year, $35 million extension, a league source confirmed, meaning he could be with the team through the 2027 season. The new contract includes $33.5 million fully guaranteed for this season and next.

Thuney’s salary-cap number was going to be $16 million this season. But with the revised contract, his cap hit will be lowered to $8 million for 2025.

The Bears planned to extend Thuney when they traded for him in March, but with free agency, draft preparation and getting a new coaching staff up to speed, there was no rush to complete business. General manager Ryan Poles said it was a priority, and that’s evident in the deal.

Thuney is a main cog in the offensive line makeover. The Bears also traded for right guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams and signed Drew Dalman to a free-agent deal that made the former Atlanta Falcon the second-highest-paid center in the league.

After adding Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo with a second-round draft pick, it’s possible the Bears could have four new starters on the line.

They had interest entering free agency in Trey Smith, but the Chiefs, under a bit of a salary-cap crunch, opted to deal Thuney and use their resources to place the franchise tag on Smith, their 25-year-old right guard. It wouldn’t be surprising if Smith signs a contract that makes him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in the league.

Thuney arrived in Chicago with one year remaining on the five-year, $80 million contract he signed in free agency in 2021 to leave the New England Patriots for Kansas City. He was slated to earn a $15.5 million base salary with a $500,000 workout bonus.

The old deal’s annual average of $16 million was tied for 11th among NFL guards, and now Thuney has moved up with the new deal.

Thuney, the first player in NFL history to start in the Super Bowl in his first three seasons, has started 146 of a possible 148 regular-season games in his career and was a first-team All-Pro the last two years with the Chiefs.

The Bears have reason to feel much better about their offensive line with Thuney serving as a trusted veteran voice in the meeting room and still playing at a high level. It remains to be seen how the left tackle situation will shake out, but the team has confidence that whoever starts there will be playing alongside a real upgrade.

The Bears used five starters at left and right guard in 2024: Teven Jenkins, Matt Pryor, Nate Davis, Jake Curhan and Ryan Bates, who is the only one of the group remaining on the roster.