Like Jerry Seinfeld, Bears center Drew Dalman has decided to walk away while at the top of his game.
The 27-year-old Pro Bowler, coming off one of the best seasons of his career and only one year into a lucrative three-year deal with Chicago, informed the Bears on Tuesday that he is retiring from pro football.
Dalman, a fourth-round draft pick of the Falcons in 2021, made himself a highly desired free agent target last year after establishing himself in Atlanta. The Bears signed him to a three-year, $42 million deal. The signing was part of Chicago’s massive overhaul of its offensive line last year, an effort that paid huge dividends as the Bears made a playoff run to the divisional round.
Chicago had hoped that Dalman, along with his other line mates, would line it up for an encore performance this year that might take the Bears to their first Super Bowl in 20 years. Instead, Chicago’s front office will have to start looking for a new center.
Compounding matters is the late-season knee injury suffered by tackle Ozzy Trapillo that will cost him most of the 2026 season.
The Bears aren’t wasting time, however. The team reached out to recently released Commanders center Tyler Biadasz about filling the suddenly vacant position.
