Bears draft Logan Jones as potential replacement for Drew Dalman after surprise retirement originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Bears made their second pick of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 57 pick in Round 2, selecting an offensive lineman.
As Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared on Twitter/x, the Bears have drafted Iowa center Logan Jones. He's a potential starter right away.
After the Bears lost Drew Dalman due to a surprise retirement, the Bears needed to find a center. They traded for Garrett Bradbury, but this pick of Jones might be their new center.
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There might not have been a bigger issue for the Bears this offseason than the sudden retirement of Dalman, their Pro Bowl center.
It was a stunning result for the Bears, and they needed to quickly adjust. They passed on signing Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, but are now getting Linderbaum's replacement at Iowa in Jones, a four-year starter for Iowa.
Jones made 51 starts in his collegiate career and will likely factor into the starting center question. He's ready to play right away and could start over Bradbury at center.
More: Drew Dalman surprisingly retires at 27 years old after Pro Bowl season
The 2025 unanimous All-American, Jones, has been a great center who is a bit older, as he's already 24 years old.
It's likely to be a competition for the starting center job between Jones and Bradbury, with the loser potentially moving to an offensive guard spot if needed, or, at worst, a backup center who can slide into a starting role if needed.
Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles might've just added their new starting center after Dalman's stunning retirement. It's going to be a fascinating competition later this year.
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