Brett Veach has done it again, folks. Following the release of anchors Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz just last week, he’s added one of the top interior players on the market in former New England Patriot Joe Thuney. The deal, first announced via his agency, reportedly totals $80M across five years.

Just last March New England tagged Thuney in a last-gasp effort to keep the stud guard in Foxborough for another season. The hope was to negotiate a long-term deal: it ultimately failed. And now, Thuney finds himself within one of the more interesting offensive lines in the league with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and 2020 third-rounder Lucas Niang both set to return.

Not only does Thuney bring championship pedigree to a now re-tooled offensive front, but he’s also proven to be a model of consistency and durability throughout his first five seasons in the NFL, starting 90 consecutive games to begin his career. A former third-round selection, Thuney now serves as one of the highest-paid interior linemen the league has to offer, and rightly so.

A 2019 second-team All-Pro, Thuney has registered 5,474 offensive snaps since he entered the league, second only to Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (5,492) over that same period. His claim to fame comes inside at guard, but Thuney touts the versatility to work at both center and tackle in emergency situations, a welcomed sign in Kansas City if things again were to go awry up front.

With Patrick Mahomes glued under center for the next decade-plus barring anything unforeseen, Thuney’s addition could prove to be priceless in the wake of the Chiefs’ latest Super Bowl appearance where their offensive line was ravaged by the front four of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mahomes, fresh off a new $477M deal in his own right, took to Twitter just moments after the signing to welcome his new left guard.

https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1371554249386102790