Four-year NFL veteran and second-team All-Pro Joe Thuney will not be hitting the open market. According to Ian Rapoport, the Patiots used the francise tag on Thuney to keep him in Foxboro for at least one more season. Thuney, a two-time Super Bowl champion, spent the entirety of his professional career with the New England Patriots.
The #Patriots with an interesting move: They are franchise tagging standout Joe Thuney. This allows them to keep him… or trade him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Joe Thuney ****TEAM**** Agree to Contract
Thuney spent the 2019 season with the New England Patriots. Starting in all 16 games, the left guard became arguably the most important part of the offensive line for a majority of the season. Starting center David Andrews missed the season recovering from blood clots in his lungs while left tackle Isaiah Wynn missed the first half of the season with a foot injury. Thuney had to hold down the left side of the offensive line essentially by himself and stepped up to the task. All in all, Thuney had the best year of his career and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors for his impressive campaign.
Thuney initially entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Selected by the New England Patriots, Thuney immediately stepped in and started all 16 regular season games as a rookie. Thuney helped solidify what was a leaky offensive line and played a big role in New England winning their second Super Bowl in three years.
Joe Thuney returned to start all 16 games in 2017. Continuing to get better with age, Thuney played a key part in what was one of the best interior offensive lines in football. He maintained his high level of play into 2018, and his ability to keep Tom Brady upright and open holes in the running game played a large role in New England’s unlikely Super Bowl run. Thuney, now entering his age-28 season, has established himself as one of best guards in the league and should maintain his high level of play moving forward.
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