Chicago Bears center Drew Dalman is retiring from the NFL at age 27, according to multiple reports.
Dalman earned a Pro Bowl selection after starting all 17 games for the Bears last season.
He signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Chicago during the previous offseason.
The Stanford alum was originally a fourth-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
The 27-year-old signed a three-year, $42 million ($26.5 million guaranteed) during free agency last offseason as part of the Bears’ rebuild of their interior offensive line. Dalman rewarded Chicago by starting all 17 games and earning a Pro Bowl nod.
Tyler Biadasz, the former Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders center who was released by the Commanders on Monday, is visiting with the Bears, according to NFL Media.
Dalman, who played collegiately at Stanford, was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft by the Atlanta Falcons; he spent the first four seasons of his career with the team. He suffered an ankle injury that cost him half of his 2024 season and missed three games the year prior.
Dalman’s father, Chris, was also a NFL offensive lineman (and Stanford alum) and spent seven years in the league (1993-1999).
Bears starting quarterback Caleb Williams paid a one-word tribute to Dalman on X following the news:
‘Hulk…,’ he posted with a smiling crying emoji, a reference to Dalman’s nickname.
“It’s a huge privilege, having that caliber of coach as my high school line coach, I felt pretty spoiled,” Dalman told USA TODAY Sports during training camp last July. “He was a phenomenal player and coach, so that was a huge asset.”
Beyond football, Dalman admired his father as a kid. But as his football journey progressed he said he wanted to achieve the same goals “and you just relate more and more.”
“There are things that he knows that I understand that I didn’t before,” Dalman said.