Drew Dalman is everything the Bears needed and more

The center position has been a revolving door of mediocrity for the Chicago Bears for years. There were flashes of middling and some occasional decent or passable play, but it was mostly below average. For the few years prior to the 2025 offseason, they tried to put a band-aid on the position through free agency, but none of their acquisitions panned out.

But this offseason, in year one of the Ben Johnson era and year two of Caleb Williams, general manager Ryan Poles decided to make a significant investment. He signed Drew Dalman, the top center on the market, to a 3-year, $42M deal, which came in far below most expectations. Then it came out that Dalman had more options, but he wanted to play in Chicago, and he took less to do so.

After a slow start, Dalman — and his fellow linemates — have really picked up their play. The offensive line, more so than any other position group, needs time to gel, and having a quality center can certainly accelerate the growth.

Before we get into some on-field stuff, Dalman is the Bears nominee for the 2025 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, which is presented each year to an NFL player who “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.”

Dalman is also one of three Bears currently leading their position in the fan vote for the NFC Pro Bowl team (Joe Thuney and Kevin Brayd III are the others).

The knock that some had on Dalman this spring was that he was only good in outside zone, which was always poppycock, because that’s what he was mostly asked to do in Atlanta, so naturally, most of his tape would be running outside zone. This season, Dalman has been good no matter if it’s been zone, duo, as a pass blocker, etc., and Pro Football Focus has him graded as the third-best center in the NFL.

This next clip is a cut-up of a few blocks, and what stands out is the range of responsibilities he handles. A reach block on a defensive tackle to seal him from the play, stonewalling the nose tackle, staying with a combo block while the guard moves off to the second level, and a double team then works up for a linebacker.

Asking him to work to the back side to pick up the edge rusher in pass protection is a trait that not all centers have, but this is a block that Dalman has done a few times this season.

Head coach Ben Johnson had high expectations for Dalman when they signed him, and he’s been a key cog in the team’s 9-3 record and top 10 offense.

“I talk about intelligence, and at that spot, it’s going to be critical,” Johnson said in March of Dalman. “He is going to be the quarterback of our offensive line. He’ll be setting the protections and the run game for us, something he has done in the past. And I think we can put even more on his plate than what he has been exposed to previously. I’m excited about that. He is still learning. He’s still growing as a player. He has not hit his ceiling either. He has already asked me several times, ‘What did you see on tape that I can get better at?’ So that’s the type of person we’re getting.”

If Dalman and the offensive line keep playing at this level, there isn’t a team the Bears can’t beat.