The Patriots have made four big signings today, but it’s now time for one to go the other way. Joe Thuney will leave New England for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The deal with Kansas City be worth up to $80M for 5 years.
Thuney was drafted by the Patriots in the third round in 2016, and has been with them ever since. He started all 16 games each year since 2016. It became clear that Thuney would require a big deal in free agency. It was definitely not worth the price for the Patriots, especially with the recent pickup of Trent Brown. With the Trent Brown signing, it only made it more likely the Joe Thuney era was over.
The Chiefs released two of their starting offensive linemen last week in Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. Patrick Mahomes will be happy to hear about the addition of Thuney, as the Chiefs begin to beef up his protection.
The first two years of Joe Thuney’s deal will be fully guaranteed at $32.5M. The third year is injury only, but it converts over to a full guarantee. In total, Thuney will sign for a guaranteed $48M, with a chance to get up to the $80M mark. The Patriots will look elsewhere for help on the offensive line.