Five Candidates for the Bears to Replace Pro Bowl Center Drew Dalman

The Bears need a new center after Drew Dalman retired.

Tyler Linderbaum is the top center hitting free agency this offseason. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Bears are officially in the market for a new center after Drew Dalman decided to surprisingly retire at the age of 27.

Dalman was among the top centers in the league and was coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2025. He helped the Bears' offensive line become one of the best in the NFL in 2025, ranking first in ESPN’s pass block win rate and fifth in its run block win rate metric. The Bears gave up significantly fewer sacks this past season as well, helping Caleb Williams take massive strides forward in his sophomore campaign.

While the Bears still have a good offensive line, which features the first-ever Protector of the Year award winner in Joe Thuney, they now have a big hole to fill at center. Finding the right center will allow Chicago to retain their offensive line success in 2026, which has been pivotal to the team’s overall turnaround.

As the Bears look for Dalman’s replacement, here are five options they could turn to:

1. Tyler Linderbaum

Tyler Linderbaum is expected to cash in during free agency this year. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Tyler Linderbaum is far and away the best center available this offseason. Linderbaum is the top offensive lineman overall in free agency, and will be the prized pickup for whichever team manages to land him next week.

Signing Linderbaum would certainly allow the Bears to maintain their success along the offensive line. However, Linderbaum is expected to command a deal of at least $20 million and the Bears have limited cap space, which could make it tricky for them to secure Linderbaum over other teams.

2. Connor McGovern

Connor McGovern has been part of the Bills’ stellar offensive line. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After Linderbaum, Connor McGovern is the next-best center slated to hit free agency. McGovern has been a staple of a great Bills offensive line over the last three seasons, and made his first Pro Bowl in 2024. PFF graded McGovern as the ninth-best center in 2025, and he ranked fifth in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric.

3. Tyler Biadasz

The Commanders surprisingly released center Tyler Biadasz. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Commanders center Tyler Biadasz is free to sign anywhere after Washington decided to release him last week. Biadasz was PFF’s 12th-best center in 2025, and a number of people were surprised to see the Commanders opt to move on from him.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Bears are already hosting Biadasz on a visit. If the visit goes well, they could turn to him as Dalman’s replacement.

4. Lloyd Cushenberry

Lloyd Cushenberry spent the last two seasons with the Titans. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Another option the Bears could turn to is Lloyd Cushenberry, who the Titans chose to release last week after two seasons in Tennessee. Cushenberry has been injured in recent years, but played 15 games in 2025 and is a solid option at center when healthy.

5. Luke Fortner

Luke Fortner spent the 2025 season with the Saints. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

An under-the-radar candidate the Bears could look into is Luke Fortner. A 2022 third-round pick, Fortner was traded from the Jaguars to the Saints in August after he was relegated to a backup role in 2024. Fortner started 10 games for the Saints in 2025, and played well during those appearances as he ranked 17th among centers according to PFF and 18th among interior offensive linemen in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric.

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