One stat proves that Ryan Poles hit a home run in free agency

If availability is the best ability, this newcomer to the Chicago Bears was the real MVP.

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The warrior king Timur once said, "It is better to be on hand with ten men than absent with ten thousand." In football, this same sentiment is expressed with a snappier phrase: availability is the best ability. If one were to take this phrase literally, then the Chicago Bears' team MVP would have to be center Drew Dalman.

The signing of Drew Dalman in free agency was one of several high points for the Bears' offseason. They needed a reliable center in the worst way, so general manager Ryan Poles acquired the best available center, signing him to a three-year, $42 million contract on the first day of the 2025 free agency period.

Less than a calendar year later, Dalman has added another feather to Ryan Poles' cap. He earned a spot in the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl as the top center and finished the season as PFF's seventh-highest graded center. Most importantly, Dalman was on the field for 100% of Chicago's offensive snaps, the only player on this team to do so.

Bears center Drew Dalman played 100% of the offensive snaps, making him the only player who didn’t miss a single snap.

What a signing this offseason. pic.twitter.com/Ty5DRtDtWZ

— Dave (@davebfr) January 5, 2026

Unit cohesion is essential for offensive line play

Obviously, any player who can go a full season without missing a snap is impressive, but it means so much more for offensive linemen. They're the only players in football who are considered a true unit, one that must work together to achieve success. Good chemistry, therefore, is a crucial component of any offensive line, and that can only be obtained by playing next to the same players over and over.

This goes double for the center. He's the only one who actually touches the ball, and he's responsible not just for his blocking assignments but for helping the quarterback call out protections and adjust plays as necessary. If the starting center goes out, it effects not just the line but the quarterback, too.

A really underrated aspect of Drew Dalman is how much he normalizes legal pre-snap movement at C. Defenders can't key in on his movements because he uses a lot of head nods, shoulder turns, and other subtle movements AND varies the tempo of his snap throughout those movements.

— Quinten Krzysko (@ButkusStats) December 10, 2025

Last year, the Bears lacked the kind of continuity on the offensive line that they have now. Injuries and benchings forced Chicago to rotate through several different offensive line configurations, and for a group that was already lacking in talent, it only made a bad situation worse.

That's what makes Dalman such a huge success for Ryan Poles. Not only did he provide Pro Bowl-caliber play at a critical position, but he never missed a single snap. Ryan Poles catches a lot of heat from the fans for his worst free agency moves, and rightfully so, but the Drew Dalman signing is about as good as it gets for a general manager.

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

More Chicago Bears News:

• 4 duds from Bears' humiliating Week 18 loss to the Lions

• Caleb Williams falls agonizingly short of Bears history

• Ben Johnson appears to immediately regret huge blunder

• Insane stat shows just how much Bears' rival respects Caleb Williams

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter