Bears sign Drew Dalman to three-year, $42M deal with $28M guaranteed to keep Caleb Williams upright

The Chicago Bears’ offensive line overhaul under new head coach Ben Johnson continued with a bang on Monday at the start of the NFL free agency’s legal tampering period.

Chicago is signing free agency’s top center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million deal, per CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Jones reported the 26-year-old took less money to play under Johnson and block for 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams. Dalman, a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, was the league’s fourth-highest graded center last season (78.8 PFF offensive grade) after allowing only two sacks and 10 quarterback pressures allowed in nine games last season while battling through an ankle injury. 

This is a huge move for the Bears who continue reinforce Williams’ offensive line after he took 68 sacks as a rookie, tied for the third-most in a season in NFL history. They traded for Rams right guard Jonah Jackson earlier this month and then made another splashy trade by acquiring two-time first-team All-Pro Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. 

A core component of Johnson’s success as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator was an elite offensive line, and he’s well on his way to building another outstanding offensive front line in Chicago.