The Chicago Bears secured their new starting center for the 2025 season on the first day of free-agent negotiations during the NFL's legal tampering period.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Bears agreed to terms with former Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman on a three-year, $42 million deal that continued the team's reconstruction of its interior offensive line.
Meanwhile, the man Dalman will replace - Coleman Shelton - is set to return to his original team on the West Coast after 17 starts for the Bears in 2024.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Shelton has reached an agreement on a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams that will bring him back to L.A. in 2025. The financial details of Shelton's new deal have not been reported yet.
Shelton started all 17 games at center for the Bears in 2024, allowing just three sacks on 783 pass-blocking snaps and finishing with a top-20 overall grade from Pro Football Focus among 64 eligible centers. While he has some standout plays, though, his inconsistency exemplified a line-wide problem for the Bears.
Fortunately for Shelton, he has history with the Rams and coach Sean McVay.
Related: Chicago Bears 2025 NFL Free Agency Tracker: Every Signing, Trade & Move
Before leaving for Chicago last offseason, Shelton played 73 career games in L.A., where he gradually grew from a backup into a full-time starter by the start of the 2022 season. He started every game at center for the Rams in 2023.
Shelton is now in line to compete with Beaux Limmer - a 2024 sixth-round pick - for the Rams' starting center job heading into the 2025 season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Limmer allowed just one sack on 510 pass-blocking snaps in 2024 but earned the eighth-worst pass-blocking grade (42.9).
The Bears will have two centers on their 2025 roster when Dalman's signing becomes official at the start of the new league year on March 12. They also have Ricky Stromberg, a 2023 third-round pick whom they signed to their practice squad in November and retained on a futures deal in January.
Related: Bears Sign Veteran Center to $42 Million Deal in First Free-Agent Splash
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This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 6:28 PM.