The Bears acquired All-Pro guard Joe Thuney in a trade this offseason, despite the fact he was entering a contract year.

Turns out it was no rental.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles locked him up long term, as Thuney agreed to a two-year contract extension, his agent announced Tuesday morning.

The new deal is worth up to $51 million over three years, per a league source, and will bind him to the Bears through the 2027 season. It includes $33.5 million in fully guaranteed money.

That will keep an elite interior offensive line together for a while. The Bears signed center Drew Dalman to a three-year deal in free agency. They also traded for guard Jonah Jackson one day before the Thuney deal, and subsequently extended his contract by a year, through 2027.

The Bears are spending big surrounding quarterback Caleb Williams over the next three seasons. They have preserved financial flexibility after that, when they’ll have to decide whether to give their quarterback a massive extension at the current market rate. Poles has poured money into Williams’ support system before then, trying to capitalize on having a passer working on a rookie contract.

Protecting Williams is an important part of that.

Thuney brings quality play, plus the leadership and playoff experience that a young team without a recent track record of success needs. He’s a four-time Super Bowl champion, having spent important times with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.

“He’s really smart,” Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar said last month. “He knows exactly how to play the game. He knows how to prepare. He’s really got a great mind from a football standpoint.

“I feel like he is going to have a phenomenal presence with the group. Not a vocal guy. Very humble but true with action. And just my observations of him interacting with our players, I already see a real positive impact.”

Thuney can play anywhere along the line, but he will be featured at left guard, working with Dalman and a starting left tackle who hasn’t yet been determined. Thuney’s intangibles are off the charts, and he’s someone who makes those around him better. Keeping him beyond 2025 should be considered a win for the Bears.