Not to be lost in the DJ Moore trade news is the fact that the Chicago Bears need to find a new starting center.
Drew Dalman’s stunning retirement created a vacancy I didn’t expect this team to need to fill this offseason. However, the NFL moves quickly and in a way that doesn’t allow you to sit around and mope about a loss. With that in mind, I’ve already begun looking at possible free-agent center fits — and so have the Bears.
2026 NFL Free Agency: Potential fits at center for the Chicago Bears
This tweet from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen appears to be a good place to start our search for the next Bears center:
Bears…Free agent centers — from my Top 100 rankings. Tyler Linderbaum Connor McGovern Cade Mays Tyler BiadaszSean Rhyan (C/G)
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 4, 2026Let’s get to know some of the players who could be on Chicago’s radar as it sniffs around the center market.
Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
When it comes to free agent centers, Tyler Linderbaum is the belle of the ball. Linderbaum checks all the boxes you’d want from a free agent target who figures to command top dollar on the open market. Pro Football Focus’ wins above replacement metric has graded Linderbaum as a top-5 center in each of the last three seasons. And while his pass-blocking grades aren’t the best, Linderbaum’s run-blocking prowess is elite. Given how important the ground game is to the success of Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson’s offense, I can see Chicago being willing to pay a premium at this position.
That said, the Bears have so many other needs that I can understand why they wouldn’t want to pay Linderbaum the big bucks. Not only does the team have to fill holes along the defensive line, at linebacker, and in the secondary, but it also needs to make sure that it saves some cash for a Darnell Wright extension. Bears GM Ryan Poles said extending Wright is “definitely a priority” in a way that reminded me of how he spoke before ironing out a deal with All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney.
To be clear, this isn’t to say that a potential Wright extension would be prohibitive and keep Chicago from signing the 25-year-old Linderbaum. But in a salary-capped league where you can’t pay everyone, tough decisions need to be made.
© Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesConnor McGovern, Buffalo Bills
If the Bears are looking to fill the void left behind by Drew Dalman’s retirement with a more cost-efficient veteran, then perhaps Connor McGovern is a name we should get familiar with ahead of free agency. Because while Pro Football Focus forecasts Tyler Linderbaum to snag a four-year deal worth $80 million that includes $53 million in guarantees, the analytics site projects McGovern to reel in a three-year deal worth $39 million with just $20 million in guarantees.
McGovern, 28, has spent the last three seasons with the Buffalo Bills playing center after starting his career with the Dallas Cowboys as a guard. A Pro Bowler in 2024, McGovern has missed just two games since the start of the 2023 season. That type of durability is something Chicago’s front office could see as valuable. I suppose the same can be said about the versatility he possesses, especially when you consider his prior experience at both guard spots.
Connor McGovern has been a top-10 center by PFF’s metrics in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate metric graded McGovern as the fifth-best interior offensive lineman in pass protection. To give that factoid some depth, Bears left guard Joe Thuney ranked second, and center Drew Dalman ranked eighth. Because you might care: Linderbaum checks in with the fourth-best pass-block win rate among interior offensive linemen.
Tyler Biadasz, Washington Commanders
Shortly after news of Dalman’s retirement broke online, a report surfaced that the Bears were planning to host center Tyler Biadasz for a visit. Credit Chicago’s front office for being proactive in its search for a new center. But is he the right fit?
Biadasz’s résumé is decent. He was a Pro Bowler while playing for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, then spent the last two seasons snapping the ball to 2024 Washington Commanders first-round pick Jayden Daniels.
The good news is that Biadasz’s PFF grades were solid. A 71.2 run-blocking grade and 67.1 pass-blocking grade put him in the top half of players at the position. However, the fact that the Commanders cut him feels telling. That Washington parted ways with its starting center should make you question things. Plus, the Commanders’ cut being rooted more in performance issues than cap savings raises a red flag for me. Nevertheless, he is an interesting target for the Bears — even if he isn’t the best one.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesCade Mays, Carolina Panthers
If the Bears are in search of a stopgap option at center, then perhaps Cade Mays could provide a bridge. This is what PFF has to say about the 26-year-old who is on the cusp of free agency:
Mays had his number called in 2025, playing a career-high 793 snaps at center for the Panthers. He was solid as a pass-blocker with a 67.6 PFF pass-blocking grade, and he hasn’t allowed a sack in either of the last two seasons. However, he placed in the 20th percentile of negatively-graded run-blocking plays last season. The 26-year-old profiles as a versatile lineman who could be unlocked in future years.
At first blush, Mays sounds like a bit of a project. And I’m not sure Chicago wants to roll the dice on someone who needs work. But if this team believes in its coaches and thinks the veteran guards flanking it can help smooth things over for a center who needs work, then I would be open to bringing Mays into the fold. PFF projects Mays will land a one-year deal worth $4.5 million that includes $1.75 million guaranteed.
Sean Rhyan, Green Bay Packers
I think it is interesting that the Packers’ offensive line looked more competent after moving Rhyan from guard to center midseason. And while it would be fun (for the sake of content) to snag a player out of Green Bay, the overall profile isn’t intriguing enough to me. Rhyan’s PFF overall grade (59.0, ranked 31st of 40 centers) and pass-blocking grade (38.5, which ranked dead last at the position) outweigh the respectable run-blocking grade (66.7, 17th/40 centers) he posted last season.
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