US EditionLions’ Penei Sewell Fails to Win NFL’s Inaugural Protector of the Year Award
Joe Thuney won the NFL's first Protector of the Year award, selected by a committee of NFL legends, over Penei Sewell who led Pro Football Focus analytics.
- On Feb. 5, 2026, Chicago Bears left guard Joe Thuney won the NFL's inaugural Protector of the Year award at the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco, beating finalists including Penei Sewell.
- Created in May after a push from Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins, the Protector of the Year award spotlights top offensive linemen and was decided by a selection committee of former All-Pro linemen.
- Thuney played 17 games without allowing a sack, allowing one quarterback hit and 14 pressures, according to TruMedia, while ESPN credited him with holding blocks for 2.5 seconds on 98% of snaps.
- His win follows a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs and a two‑year, $35 million extension, raising Thuney's salary‑cap hit to $21.5 million next season.
- The Detroit Lions organization saw Penei Sewell, who finished as PFF's second‑highest rated player, and Aidan Hutchinson, who led the NFL in pressures, both come up short for awards.
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The Chicago Bears had a special season in 2025 and were recently recognized during the NFL Honors.The Bears took home two major awards, one being NFL’s Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year with quarterback Caleb Williams’ overtime game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore to beat the Green Bay Packers 23-16 during the regular season.The other was offensive guard Joe Thuney, taking home the inaugural award for Protector of the Year. That…
Bears' Joe Thuney wins NFL Protector of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (WGN) — The Chicago Bears' Joe Thuney added a historic first to a laundry list of accomplishments he's collected across his NFL career at the NFL Honors show Thursday night. Thuney was voted the first-ever winner of the NFL Protector of the Year Award by a selection committee of some of the best offensive linemen [...]
Chicago Bears’ Joe Thuney named NFL Protector of the Year, while Caleb Williams-to-DJ Moore TD wins top moment
The Chicago Bears' Joe Thuney was the inaugural winner of the NFL Protector of the Year award, while the Bears won Moment of the Year for their dramatic OT touchdown against the Packers.
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