When news broke that Drew Dalman was retiring from the NFL after only five seasons, it sent shockwaves through the Chicago Bears fanbase.
A 27-year-old former fourth-round pick who came over from the Atlanta Falcons last spring in free agency on a $42 million contract, Dalman immediately established himself as a cornerstone-caliber offensive lineman, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career while establishing a quick relationship with Caleb Williams.
Asked how his retirement will impact Williams on ESPN’s NFL Live, former Bears quarterback Chase Daniel noted it will have a massive impact, as losing a Pro Bowler who calls out protections before the snap will put more on the third-year USC QB’s shoulders.
“Well, it's a huge deal. One, he's the center, right? He's the guy who snaps you the football. But ultimately at the line of scrimmage, when you watch the film, and you really break it down, Drew Dalman was calling all the protections, whether it's the run game protection, whether it's the pass game protection,” Daniel said.
“And it was really key in Caleb Williams' development. When Schafty tweeted this out, I was in awe. I was completely flabbergasted and surprised because when you are a quarterback, you'll have a certain comfort level with certain centers, how they see things, what we should go to, how they call. It just puts a little bit more on Caleb Williams' plate. They're without a Pro Bowl-type guy, too. He's the leader of the big uglies up front, man. This is a massive, massive loss.”
Fortunately for the Bears, Dalman is retiring before free agency, instead of in, say, March, when Chicago would have far fewer options to replace him for the 2026 NFL Season. Unfortunately, after watching the 27-year-old establish himself as a Pro Bowl-caliber player, it’s worth wondering how much it will cost to find a similar caliber player, if one is even as seamless a fit in Ben Johnson’s system at all.
