The Chicago Bears have officially lost one of the league's top centers just a year after signing him to a 3-year, $42 million deal. Drew Dalman informed the Bears he is retiring at the age of 27.
Appearing on The Score Chicago, noted NFC North expert Carmen Vitali was asked about the Dalman saga and had some inside information as to why Dalman retired.
In short, it was a reason that most Bears fans would have expected to hear.
"The Chicago Bears were kind of trying to steer Drew Dalman in another direction ... they did not want Drew Dalman to retire," Vitali said.
"The notion that I got from people close to the situation was ... listen, his dad was a player. His dad was a coach. He has seen what this game can do to you in your life after football, and for better or for worse, this man is a Stanford man. He's very very smart. He knows what that toll can be. He's seen it first hand."
Drew Dalman reportedly retired for the exact reason Bears fans suspected
Vitali is a highly-respected journalist with ties to the division for quite a while now, so her answer as to why Dalman retired is, first and foremost, to be trusted.
Second, her explanation is precisely what many fans likely assumed after hearing the news. Once the initial shock wore off, the only likely reasoning, right away, seemed to be that Dalman wanted to protect his future and his health.
Dalman's father, Chris, went to Stanford before playing eight seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. After retiring, he went into coaching and has been an offensive line coach for Salinas Palma High School since 2009.
Dalman, of course, followed his father's footsteps to Stanford and, ultimately, to the NFL. With his father still around the game, today, it makes sense that he played only five seasons before deciding to prioritize his body and health going forward.
There are a lot of reasons to step away from the game of football, but in Dalman's case, this is one of the reasons which no one can argue with.
So, with Dalman gone, now what? That's the next question.
We've already touched on this question a bit, as general manager Ryan Poles seemed to have a plan in place. The Bears hosted free agent center Tyler Biadasz, who was recently a cap casualty from the Washington Commanders, and Chicago might have its sights set on an even bigger name.
Sports Illustrated's NFL insider Albert Breer mentioned the Bears had been keeping an eye on impending free agent Tyler Linderbaum which, at first, might not have made much sense. After Dalman's retirement, though, it makes a ton of sense.
Read more: First Bears mock draft after Drew Dalman retirement isn't what you may think
The point is, Poles has a plan in place and fans should remain confident in this team's direction and ability to improve at key positions. It's a long offseason ahead, and Poles has plenty of time to work some magic.