The Chicago Bears’ offseason to-do list unexpectedly got longer Tuesday afternoon.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles will now have to look for a starting center after it was reported that Drew Dalman will retire at the age of 27. Dalman still had two years left on a three-year contract he signed with the team last offseason.

Poles will quickly need to decide how he wants to fortify an offensive line that became one of the NFL’s best last season with Dalman at center. Backup center Ryan Bates is set to be a free agent once the new league starts next week. Poles will also need to figure out how he wants to handle left tackle, which will be left open for most of next season after left tackle Ozzy Trapilo injured his patellar tendon in the playoffs in January.

Chicago will have options both in free agency and the draft. According to Over The Cap, Dalman’s retirement will have a $4 million dead money charge but free up Dalman’s $14 million salary cap hit. The Bears could earmark the money they expected to use on Dalman for another veteran center.

Poles might be more open to having a veteran on the market come in and work with quarterback Caleb Williams as opposed to a rookie. But selecting a rookie would save cap space and give the team a cheaper option over the next few years.

It’s also worth noting that the Bears could stick with what they have on the roster at the position. Luke Newman, whom the team drafted in the sixth round last year, took some snaps at center during training camp. If the Bears liked what they saw, they could stick with Newman and add a veteran backup.

Here are five players the Bears could target to replace Dalman in free agency and the draft.

Tyler Biadasz

Signing Biadasz would provide Poles with a dependable veteran option whom they could bring in before the new league year starts on Wednesday, March 11.

Biadasz has started 84 games over six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders. He earned his lone Pro Bowl honor with Dallas in 2022 before the Cowboys let him leave and sign a three-year contract with the Commanders in 2024. Washington released Biadasz on Thursday, and he will be 28 at the start of next season.

He allowed three sacks, which tied for 25th amongst centers who played at least 50% of the snaps according to Pro Football Focus, and 21 pressures in 2025. For comparison, Dalman allowed one sack and 24 pressures during his Pro Bowl season last year.

Poles could sign Biadasz as soon as he wants since the Commanders released him before the new league year started. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Bears already visited with Biadasz.

Tyler Linderbaum

The Bears went after the best center available in free agency when they signed Dalman last offseason. They could do it again this year by going after the best available center in free agency, Tyler Linderbaum.

He became one of the best centers in the league since the Baltimore Ravens drafted Linberbaum No. 25 overall out of Iowa in 2022. After an impressive rookie season, Linderbaum earned three straight Pro Bowl honors. But the Ravens chose not to place a franchise tag on him given how much he would earn because of it.

Linderbaum had another dominant season in 2025. He allowed two sacks, one quarterback hit and 26 pressures as the Ravens fought for a playoff berth late in the year. Linderbaum had the fourth-highest run-blocking grade according to PFF (83.7) last year and the 18th-highest pass-blocking grade (63.4).

Poles will need to decide whether they want to pay up for a talent like Linderbaum. At age 25, Linderbaum is in the prime of his career. The Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey is the highest-paid center at $18 million per year, and Linderbaum could contend for that in the coming week.

Connor McGovern

Connor McGovern would provide the Bears with another veteran option who is still in the prime of his career but likely wouldn’t break the bank as much as Linderbaum.

McGovern showed flexibility during his time in Buffalo over the past three seasons. He started his career at guard for the Cowboys and Bills during the first four years of his career before moving to center in 2024. McGovern earned his lone Pro Bowl honor playing at center in 2024.

The statistics looked good for McGovern last season. He didn’t allow a sack in 16 games and allowed 14 quarterback pressures. McGovern had the third-best pass-blocking grade (73.4) and the 18th-best run-blocking grade (65.2) according to PFF.

Poles might be interested in McGovern not only because he’s more affordable but because of how versatile he is. That could be useful given the injuries that usually happen on the offensive line throughout the year.

Connor Lew

If the Bears don’t feel comfortable with spending in free agency, given what’s available, they could turn their attention to the draft.

Auburn’s Connor Lew is considered one of the best centers available in the draft. Lew played in 30 games over three seasons with the Tigers. But he tore his ACL in October and played in seven games in 2025, which has raised some questions about where he will be taken.

Poles will need to decide whether he still believes in Lew’s talent, given his injury. Some analysts projected Lew to be taken late in the first round heading into the college football season. Now he might be taken in the third round or later, which would still allow him to focus on defense with his first few picks.

Logan Jones

It’s hard to look for offensive line help in the draft and not look at an Iowa offensive lineman. If there’s anything the Hawkeyes do well, it’s develop offensive linemen and tight ends for the NFL.

Jones seems destined to be another one of those talented linemen. He entered Iowa as a defensive tackle and played in one game during his redshirt freshman season before he was converted into a center in 2022. Jones started at the spot since then and earned First Team All-Big Ten twice and was named a unanimous All-American last season.

At 6-foot-3, 299 pounds, Jones might be a bit undersized for the position. But his experience and technique could help him overcome that and help him slide into the starter spot.