How Drew Dalman’s retirement changes the Chicago Bears’ offseason
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That was something no one expected.
Chicago Bears’ Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman is walking away from the game at 27 years old, one season into his 3-year, $42 million contract.
He retires after helping reshape the Bears’ offensive line from one of the league’s worst to one of the league’s best.
His retirement also alters the Bears’ offseason plans.
By the numbers:
Dalman’s retirement has one benefit for the Bears.
After the NFL Combine, the Bears were about $9 million over the cap. They had given linebacker Tremaine Edmunds the chance to seek a trade, and his eventual departure means the Bears will save $15 million in cap space.
With Dalman’s retirement, the Bears will get a good amount of cap space back. Dalman’s prorated $4 million signing bonuses between the 2026 and 2027 seasons will count against the cap for the Bears, but his retirement can void the $9.5 million in guaranteed money that would have made up most of his $14 million cap hit.
It remains to be seen how much the Bears can recoup from Dalman’s signing bonuses, but Dalman’s retirement is expected to relieve around $10 million in cap space.
Now, according to Spotrac, the Bears are $1,399,651 under the NFL’s salary cap.
That’s the good news. Now, the bad news.
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The other side:
Dalman’s retirement also means the Bears are in the market for a starting center.
He was instrumental in helping the Bears’ run game flourish in Year 1 under head coach Ben Johnson and built a rapport with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Dalman was one of the reasons the Bears allowed 24 total sacks in the 2025 season, as opposed to the 68 sacks allowed in 2024.
To fill his shoes, the Bears have two options.
Option 1: Sign a veteran
Bears general manager Ryan Poles could opt for an available veteran center. On April 30, 2025, the Ravens opted not to exercise the fifth-year option for Tyler Linderbaum’s contract, making him an impending free agent, and the Commanders released Tyler Biadasz.
Both players have made Pro Bowls.
The Bears are going to bring Biadasz in for a visit, according to NFL Network, but it remains to be seen how much those two will cost to sign. The Ravens opted to move on from Linerbaum because his contract was too expensive.
The Bears might place a preference on adding a veteran center with a competitive window that opened thanks to the 2025 season. But, they’re hamstrung by a cap situation that still needs to be figured out.
If the Bears can’t land a free agent veteran center, Poles could turn to the NFL Draft.
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Option 2: Draft a rookie
One of the most underrated parts of the 2026 NFL Draft is how deep the center position is.
Auburn’s Connor Lew, Iowa’s Logan Jones and Florida’s Jake Slaughter are the top names to know if the Bears do opt to draft a center.
Jones had an impressive NFL Combine this past week, recording the fastest 40-yard dash time of any offensive lineman at the combine. He ran a 4.91-second 40-yard dash. His play on the field is also impressive.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has allowed just one sack and two quarterback pressures in his last two seasons at Iowa. The Hawkeyes won the Joe Moore Award in the 2025 season for having college football’s best offensive line. Jones is a massive reason why.
However, drafting a center is reacting to their potential and not their established body of work at the pro level.
The Bears are in a difficult position after Dalman’s retirement, having needs at center and left tackle now. But, there are options for the Bears as their cap situation begins to clear up in the coming week.
It remains to be seen if any player – either veteran or rookie – can replace what Dalman meant to the Bears.