The Chicago Bears have a surprise problem to solve after the shocking retirement of center Drew Dalman. Despite being only 27 years old and spending just five years in the league, the lineman is ready to walk away from the game.
With this in mind, the Bears have been put in scramble mode to find a suitable replacement. One potential option could be upcoming free agent Ethan Pocic, who is from Illinois and should welcome the chance to play for Chicago after spending time with the hopeless Cleveland Browns.
According to Spotrac, Pocic has a projected average annual market value of $10.6 million. This is a very reasonable rate and would fix a glaring concern the Bears weren't expecting to need to fill. Pocic played 826 offensive snaps in the 2025 season, allowing only a pair of sacks. This is despite playing along a Cleveland offensive line that was attempting to protect a revolving door of underwhelming starters.
Add in the fact that he is extremely affordable, and it makes sense to bring Pocic back to his home state to replace Dalman. It is a problem the Bears obviously never expected to be facing with Dalman playing well and doing so for a team with clear Super Bowl aspirations, though. It is part of what makes the situation so odd, as Dalman was a major contributor to one of the NFC's most exciting young contenders.
Bears Have Potential Dalman Replacement in Impending FA Ethan Pocic
Still, there is no faulting Dalman for doing what he needs to do to put himself and his health first. It is his career and his decision to make. What this does, though, is provide the Bears an opportunity to bring Pocic home and give the center a chance to play for a real contender for the first time since his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. The lineman was drafted by the Seahawks No. 58 overall in the 2017 draft and would remain in Seattle through 2021. This led to Pocic signing with Cleveland during the 2022 offseason, where he has spent the last four seasons.
Spending as much time with a dumpster fire of an organization as Pocic did with the Browns only works in Chicago's favor here, as it appears to be lessening the price to acquire Pocic. For a variety of reasons, this potential signing presents an exciting fit that appears to be a clear direction the Bears could pursue when free agency officially opens.
For Pocic, it represents an opportunity to return home and be a vital piece for a franchise that has a real chance to maintain control of the NFC North and make a Super Bowl push. On Chicago's end, Pocic looks like a strong fit who fans will need to keep a close eye on after Dalman's surprise decision left the Bears scrambling for an answer.