Center Drew Dalman retires from the NFL in stunning development for the Bears

When the Bears signed Drew Dalman last March, it not only shored up the interior of the offensive line, but it also gave quarterback Caleb Williams a long-term battery-mate at center.

Now, one year later, Dalman has informed the team that he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 27. ESPN first reported the news.

Dalman signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Bears in free agency last spring. 

Instead, his time in Chicago is over after just one season.

Dalman, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, was brought in to stabilize the center position as part of the Bears’ massive offensive line overhaul in 2025. He did just that in his first season with the Bears, playing all 1,154 offensive snaps and earning his first Pro Bowl nod.

And now the Bears have a gaping hole in the middle of their offensive line with free agency opening next week.

CHGO’s staff weighs in on the stunning news:

Adam Jahns: First, you hope everything is OK with Dalman health-wise and at home. He has his reasons for retirement. It’s his own story to tell. And I’m all for players leaving this brutal sport that we all love on their own terms. 

For the Bears, here’s one positive: Dalman made his decision a week before free agency. General manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson have time to formulate a plan for the Bears’ line. Tyler Linderbaum and Tyler Biadasz are free agents. It’s all thought to be a good year for centers in the draft. Dalman’s contract will come off the Bears’ books, too.

All that said, Dalman will be missed. He formed a strong relationship with Williams, who affectionately referred to him as the line’s “Hulk.” Dalman had the intelligence of Bruce Banner, too. It’s why Williams’ nickname worked so well. Johnson’s offense requires a cerebral center – and Dalman’s smarts made things work. 

“He’s such a tough, smart, really good football player,” guard Joe Thuney told me at the Pro Bowl Game in San Francisco. “He knows the offense inside and out. He’s a great resource to have just talking about the game. Always communicating me and him for everything. So he made my life a lot easier on a lot of things.”

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Patrick Norton: Well, this is simply stunning. If anybody says this was on their radar before the news broke, they’re lying.

Just about every question for general manager Ryan Poles at the combine last week was wondering how the Bears could overhaul the defensive line in a similar fashion to last offseason’s complete renovation of its offensive counterpart. 

Instead, Poles not only has a defensive line to improve, but an offensive line without a starting left tackle and now, a center.

It’s still early in the offseason. There are a few options in free agency and in the draft. But the year’s worth of work to cultivate the connection between Dalman and Caleb Williams is gone.

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Greg Braggs Jr: With an offseason that already had many holes for Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson to fill on their roster, the center position becomes their biggest hole.

Drew Dalman was the only player on the offense to play 100 percent of the snaps. His presnap recognition was vital to the growth of Caleb Williams, who reduced his sack total from 68 to 24 in Year 1 to Year 2.

Simply put, this is devastating for the Bears’ plans going forward. The only solace you can take is that Ben Johnson knows what he’s doing and he will fill this hole in short order. But I’m sure it won’t come cheap.

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Adam Hoge: Absolutely stunning. The Bears have been searching for a reliable, long-term center since Olin Kreutz moved on in 2011, and they finally seemed to have that guy in Dalman, who went to the Pro Bowl this past season. His work with Caleb Williams was extremely valuable and will be missed.

The only good news is that Dalman’s retirement frees up $10 million in cap space and there are other good centers like Tyler Biadasz and Tyler Linderbaum available. But it wouldn’t be hard to argue that this is suddenly the Bears’ No. 1 need on the roster.