Joe Thuney’s Agent Pulls Back Curtain On O-Lineman’s Free Agency

The New England Patriots lost Joe Thuney this offseason, but apparently not for a lack of trying.

Thuney elected to sign with the Chiefs as a free agent after spending the first five seasons of his NFL career in Foxboro. With Thuney in line for a big payday — which he received to the tune of a five-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs — the Patriots were expected to see the guard walk given their multiple other roster needs.

But according to Thuney’s agent, Mike McCartney, the Patriots’ recent interest in the 28-year-old was “significant” after the sides had little communication earlier in the offseason. Ultimately, it sounds as though the Chiefs’ offer was too good for Thuney and his team to pass up.

“When Kansas City made it clear they were serious, I talked to Joe,” McCartney told FanSided. “I said ‘Joe, I think this is a home run for a lot of reasons. It’s a great team, you’ll have a lot of weapons around you and a creative playcaller in Andy Reid who takes care of veterans during the week. You’re a midwestern guy from Dayton, Ohio, and the Chiefs are one of two teams (in the league) that has a college football atmosphere. There’s a lot here.'”

In addition to the Chiefs and the Patriots, McCartney revealed the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers all showed interest in Thuney.