Andy Reid: Joe Thuney trade "tough," but have to manage the cap to keep winning

Joe Thuney isn't officially a former Chiefs player yet, but he's set to become one on Wednesday.

That's when the trade sending Thuney to Chicago that the Chiefs and Bears agreed to last week can be processed. During an appearance on The Bettor Angle podcast with former NFL tight end Clay Harbor, head coach Andy Reid discussed the team's reason for parting ways with a fixture on their offensive line.

Thuney's entire $16 million cap number will come off the books once the trade is official and Reid said that is why the team made the "tough" call to move on without him.

“He’s one of my favorite all-time guys that I’ve coached," Reid said. "You know that human part of it. You’re around him, and he’s just a good dude. I mean, just all-around a good dude. Tough — dirty, dirty tough. He’s going to do Chicago just heck of a job. I mean, he still can play. You gotta be able to manage this cap thing. It’s a nightmare that way. If you’re not gonna push a ton of money forward then you gotta manage the cap and try to keep consistent with this whole winning thing."

Reid said Thuney "really wanted" to go to Chicago if he was going to be moving on from the Chiefs and expressed confidence that the team can succeed with Mike Caliendo or Kingsley Suamataia at the left guard spot in 2025, so the deal could end up as a win-win if everything falls into place as hoped on both sides.