Just when it seemed like the Chicago Bears were getting their offensive line in order after years of instability, real life slaps them in the face. Drew Dalman, their marquee free agent signing from last year, made his first Pro Bowl at center for the team. Unfortunately, something seems to have affected his life so much that he has decided to retire from the NFL at the age of 27. It isn’t clear what drove the decision, but the typical motivation in such cases is health-related.
Whatever the case may be, this turns the Bears’ entire offseason plan on its head. Most felt the focus of this spring would be securing a possible left tackle to complete the offensive line and retooling the defense. Now, suddenly, the Bears are left with having once again to find a solution at center.
The good news is they may already have a plan in place. Albert Breer of MMQB reported that the team has been sniffing around three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, set to become a free agent after a successful run in Baltimore. He would certainly be the best qualified to replace Dalman.
Drew Dalman leaving hurts. There is no getting around it.
Much of the Bears’ entire offensive plan involved him when they offered that contract last year. Was he contemplating retirement even then? He missed eight games in 2024 with injuries. It’s fair to wonder if the long 2025 season had taxed his body to a point where he wasn’t comfortable continuing. Whatever the case, his exit hangs the Bears out to dry. Now they’re left having to allocate resources to a position they thought was settled. They’re already meeting with veteran Tyler Biadasz, fresh off being released by Washington.
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Biadasz has been a solid player throughout most of his career. While nobody would confuse him as one of the premier centers in the league, he would at least give the Bears some stability as they try working through this crisis. The highest-rated center in the NFL draft is Auburn’s Connor Lew. He has that ideal mix of agility, intelligence, and anchor in pass protection. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in October of last year. Chicago would probably have to wait before he’s ready. There is also Logan Jones of Iowa. The Hawkeyes of a long history of excellent offensive line play, and Jones is no exception. He’s undersized but athletic, polished, and absolutely ferocious.
No group is hurt more by the Dalman news than the defense.
It was expected that the Bears would allocate most of their resources this offseason to that side of the ball, hoping to get younger and faster. Now that the two most important positions on the offensive line have been vacated, there is no way head coach Ben Johnson will allow it to stay that way. He and Poles will do everything in their power to secure at least one of those positions, which could require either a lot of money or a top draft pick. The defense may rely mostly on bargain free agents and later picks for the second straight year.
The Bears will have to make some compromises in certain areas, postponing legitimate upgrades at certain positions until a later date. Center must be a priority. It is crucial to Johnson’s entire offensive approach. That is why Drew Dalman was their primary free agent pursuit last season. If they land Linderbaum? Fantastic. That solves the problem. If not, things get trickier.
