Joe Thuney is 32 years old has played more seasons than he has left. He has won four Super Bowls and earned individual accolades. He has made tons of money and was worth a lot more.

So it wasn’t a matter of having to sign a contract extension with the Bears. The two-time All-Pro chose to do so. A new pact was agreed upon Tuesday morning, with a formal announcement the next day.

It will keep Thuney in Chicago through the 2027 season, a commitment the start guard felt comfortable making. He explained why in a press conference following Wednesday’s OTA session.

“As the days rolled into weeks you realize this is a special place, special building, special history here and the people in the building make it even more special,” Thuney told reporters at Halas Hall. “I don’t know if there was an exact moment or anything. Pretty early on I could tell this is something I want to be a part of, something that I think could be really cool going forward.”

The Bears consider Thuney a vital cog moving forward. General manager Ryan Poles said extending Thuney was a priority, especially considering he was entering a contract year. This was always part of the plan after acquiring him in trade from Kansas City, to bring in some stability up front and locker room leadership.

Head coach Ben Johnson mentioned that in a statement announcing the Thuney extension. He’s more than his on-field production to this organization. Thuney understands that and embraces the role he’s been given.

“I always want to be available for the guys in the O-line room,” Thuney said. “Whether it be plays or situations or time of year, anything. To talk about things I’ve seen, things I’ve been through and then try to get a routine with guys and work. Whether it be after practice or after meetings or whatever. You want to be a resource for the guys and show them my routine through the season, through the offseason. Like I said, the line room has been great, a lot of hardworking guys in there, a lot of guys that want to compete, want to play. It’s been going well.”

Thuney, center Drew Dalman and right guard Jonah Jackson all have the same contract length, meaning they’ll work together over the next three seasons, another attraction for Thuney and something created by design.

“Drew and Jonah are great guys, they work relentlessly – weight room, film room, every part of the game you can tell how passionate they are for the game,” Thuney said. “It’s cool that the guys would be here for a couple years. It’s been great working with them.”

The Bears were aggressive using their salary-cap space this offseason, trying to capitalize on having a quarterback working on a rookie contract. They paid big for Johnson and their actions suggest they see the next three years as a window of legitimate contention.

Thuney gets the sense that this team is going for it and is hellbent on turning things around.

“It seems like everyone’s pulling in the same direction,” Thuney said. “Everybody’s really determined to keep working and improving. It’s what I’m used to and it felt right. Chicago is a city, a franchise with so much history. Couldn’t be happier. Really, really excited to be here.”