On Tuesday, the NFL world was shocked to learn that Chicago Bears center Drew Dalman unexpectedly retired from the league. Dalman, who’s 27, signed a three-year contract with the Bears the previous offseason and played at a high level in 2025. But Ben Johnson’s team will once again look for improvements at the position.
Chicago Bears “Sniffed Around” Center Tyler Linderbaum Before Free Agency
For the fans, news of Dalman’s retirement came as a surprise. But not everyone was shocked to see the news on Tuesday. NFL reporter Albert Breer revealed that the Bears have “sniffed around” Tyler Linderbaum, the best center available on the market, indicating that the franchise was already preparing for the future:
“The Bears have sniffed around Tyler Linderbaum and now that makes sense,” wrote Breer.
Much of the Bears’ offensive success revolves around the running game. Ben Johnson arrived in 2025, and Chicago quickly improved from 4.0 yards per carry in 2024 to 4.9 yards per carry in 2025. Only the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens had more rushing yards in the season.
Dalman was a key piece of the running game, and the Bears’ offensive line improved greatly from 2024 (No. 22 in our PFSN OL Impact Metric) to 2025 (No. 2). He was one of the offseason arrivals, which also included Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. For the second straight year, a center will be needed.
Linderbaum is one of the best players available in free agency. He’s ranked No. 7 on our top 100 list and is the best center available. He’ll have plenty of suitors: teams such as the Detroit Lions, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to offer him a contract.
While it’s impossible to know where he’ll land, he’s expected to become the highest-paid center in the league, surpassing Creed Humphrey’s average of $18 million per year with the Kansas City Chiefs. Linderbaum, who did not receive the franchise tag from the Ravens, is likely to become the first-ever center to earn north of $20 million.
During the NFL Combine, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta revealed that the team made a “market-setting offer” to Linderbaum:
“Tyler is a guy that I have tremendous respect for. At this point in time, we’ve made him a market-setting offer, and hopefully we can get something done with him between now and the start of the new league year.”
According to Spotrac, the Bears have $1.3 million available on the 2026 salary cap, but they’re likely to open up space by restructuring contracts in the next few days.
