Dillon Thieneman (/ˈθiːnəmən/; born August 8, 2004) is an American professional football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
.jpg) Thieneman with the Purdue Boilermakers in 2023 | |
| No. 31 – Chicago Bears | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 8, 2004 Westfield, Indiana, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 201 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Westfield (Westfield, Indiana) |
| College | |
| NFL draft | 2026: 1st round, 25th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editThieneman attended Westfield High School in Westfield, Indiana. In Thieneman's high school career, he totaled 246 tackles with 11 being for a loss, half a sack, 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, and a fumble recovery.[1] Thieneman committed to play college football at Purdue over other schools such as Indiana, Minnesota, and Northwestern.[2][3]
College career
editPurdue
editThieneman was named a starting safety as a freshman in 2023.[4] In his first career game in the season opener, he recorded ten tackles and an interception, earning Big Ten Conference freshman of the week honors.[5] The following week versus Virginia Tech, Thieneman recorded another interception.[6] In week 6, he recorded eight tackles and an interception in a loss to Iowa.[7] For his performance, Thieneman was named the Big Ten freshman of the week for the second time.[8]
In the final week of the season, Thieneman recorded two interceptions and eight tackles as Purdue defeated Indiana to keep the Old Oaken Bucket. He was named Big Ten freshman of the week for the fifth time, becoming the first defensive player to do so.[9]
Thieneman was named the Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year as the best freshman in the Big Ten. He set Purdue freshman records for interceptions (6) and solo tackles (74).[10] On December 11, Thieneman was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, one of two freshmen to be named.[11]
On December 4, 2024, Thieneman announced that he would enter the NCAA transfer portal.[12]
Oregon
editThieneman transferred to play for the Oregon Ducks for the 2025 season.[13] He made 15 appearances for the Ducks in 2025, recording 96 combined tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and five pass deflections. Thieneman declared for the 2026 NFL draft following the season.[14]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄8 in (1.83 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 6+1⁄8 in (1.98 m) | 4.35 s | 1.52 s | 2.55 s | 41.0 in (1.04 m) | 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) | 18 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Thieneman was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft with the 25th overall pick by the Chicago Bears.[17] On June 5, 2026, Thieneman signed a four-year, $19.51 million contract with the Bears.[18][19]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Dillon Thieneman Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ↑ Carmin, Mike (June 14, 2022). "Purdue football lands commitment from Westfield defensive back Dillon Thieneman". Journal & Courier. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ↑ Jellson, Dub. "Welcome Aboard: Dillon Thieneman". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ↑ King, Sam (August 31, 2023). "Freshman Dillon Thieneman carves starting role for Purdue football". Journal & Courier. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Dillon Thieneman Named B1G Freshman of the Week After Strong Debut". Purdue Boilermakers Athletics. September 5, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Frank, Evan (September 9, 2023). "Purdue football vs. Virginia Tech: 9 hours later, Boilers beat Hokies for big road win". IndyStar. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ↑ King, Sam (October 8, 2023). "Grading Purdue football's 20-14 loss to Iowa". Journal & Courier. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Olinger, Daniel (October 10, 2023). "Big Ten Roundup (Oct. 10): Purdue Safety Dillon Thieneman Named B1G Freshman of the Week". Indiana Hoosiers On SI. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Shackelford, Brianna (November 27, 2023). "Dillon Thieneman wins Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season". WLFI. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ↑ King, Sam (November 29, 2023). "Purdue football's Dillon Thieneman named Big Ten Freshman of the Year". Lafayette Journal & Courier. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ↑ Backus, Will (December 11, 2023). "2023 AP All-America team: LSU QB Jayden Daniels headlines as SEC leads with nine first-team selections". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ↑ Olson, Max (December 4, 2024). "Dillon Thieneman to transfer after two seasons at Purdue". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ↑ Glenesk, Matthew (December 14, 2024). "Oregon football transfer portal news: Dillon Thieneman commits". IndyStar. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Bergstrom, Bjorn (January 14, 2026). "Oregon Ducks S Dillon Thieneman declares for 2026 NFL Draft". Ducks Wire. USA Today. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Dillon Thieneman Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Dillon Thieneman College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
- ↑ Mayer, Larry (April 23, 2026). "Bears select Oregon DB Dillon Thieneman 25th overall". ChicagoBears.com. Chicago Bears.
- ↑ "Roster Moves: Chicago Bears sign Thieneman and Jones". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Dillon Thieneman NFL Contracts & Salaries". Spotrac.com. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
- ↑ Golden, Aaron (August 22, 2023). "Family tradition: Thieneman on the rise in Purdue secondary". The Herald Bulletin. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ↑ Ambrogi, Mark (August 15, 2022). "Athlete of the Week: Westfield safety follows older brothers' path to Purdue". Current Publishing. Retrieved October 10, 2023.