The Chicago Bears are expected to make a splash move in free agency after losing center Drew Dalman to an abrupt retirement just head of NFL free agency.
Dan Graziano of ESPN predicted on Friday, March 6 that Chicago will sign Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum to an historically rich $90 million contract over four years, with $60 million of that total guaranteed.
“This would be an average salary of $22.5 million per year, which would blow the top off the center market. Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey is currently the highest-paid center at $18 million per year,” Graziano wrote on Friday, March 6. “But by hitting unrestricted free agency at age 25 in an offseason with a ton of teams looking for starting centers and guards, Linderbaum should cash in big-time thanks to a bidding war between multiple teams — one of which just had its 27-year-old center retire unexpectedly this week.”
Chicago also needs to find a left tackle, which is typically the position where teams with good offenses led by quality right-handed quarterbacks, such as Bears signal-caller Caleb Williams, spend most to protect said QBs’ blindsides against an ever-more fearsome class of pass-rusher wreaking havoc across NFL backfields.
However, the Bears have a solid starter at LT in Ozzy Trapilo, who they picked up in the second round of the 2025 draft. But Trapilo suffered a serious knee injury during Round 1 of the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers in January and will miss most of next season.
As a result, Chicago may turn to a player like Taylor Decker, just released by the Detroit Lions, on a one-year deal or try to work out a short-term contract to bring back Braxton Jones for a season or two.
In either of those scenarios, the Bears can spend big on Linderbaum, who is an excellent zone blocker and should prove a huge boost to a young QB like Williams just coming into his own. For those two reasons, among others, Chicago might value Linderbaum more than perhaps any other team and can thereby justify paying him like no center in the league has ever been paid before.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.