The Chicago Bears overhauled their offensive line in a massive way in the offseason, and it’s paid dividends in Ben Johnson’s first season. One of the biggest additions was the free-agent signing of center Drew Dalman, who’s helped anchor the interior.
The addition of Dalman came along with trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and all three have made a world of difference for the new-look Bears offensive line, playing as a unit that has significantly turned it around from last year.
After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times, the third-most in a single season in NFL history, making a reconstructed offensive line the top priority this offseason. That priority was addressed quickly by general manager Ryan Poles, along with Johnson, who had built a reputation for having a solid offensive line during his time as offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions.
With no relationship more important on the field between the center and quarterback in Johnson’s offense, the Bears head coach had plenty of praise for the veteran they signed coming into this year, crediting Dalman for all his different responsibilities on the line and how he has handled it in his first year.
“Significant. He wears a lot of hats in terms of what we ask him to do,” Johnson said. “He’s so smart. There’s really not a whole lot we get stumped by. It’s rare that we’ve gone into our postgame film review and we feel like we’re miss targeted. He takes a lot of pride in that he understands his role to play. Then he’s a very big part of what we’re doing in the ground game. He’s excellent in terms of this wide zone scheme that we’re looking to implement. He runs off the ball, I think he does a fantastic job in that regard.
“I think it carries over to that whole interior, the offensive line. I think they’re playing at a super high level. I went to sleep last night just thinking about that trap block that (OL) Jonah Jackson had with about two minutes left in half. He absolutely annihilates the three technique and things like that just put a little smile on my face. Drew’s a huge part of what we’re doing, but I can’t say enough good things about that entire offensive line.”
Johnson also discussed the relationship that Dalman has with Williams and how their connection has significantly helped boost the offense during the 2025 season.
“There are a lot of moving parts there with identifying the fronts. It’s rare that you have a defense that just lines up in the same generic front these days. Over, under – I mean, it seems like every team is very multiple. That’s really a big part of what Drew has to identify from the get go. Make sure our blocking core is all on the same page. Our protection unit is all on the same page. I think Caleb and him do a great job over the course of the week sitting in protection meetings and articulating what we want to do if we need to flip the protection, understanding where our issues are. It’s been a really good, cool thing to watch their relationship really blossom.”
Entering Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, Williams has only been sacked 23 times and has surpassed his rookie season total of 20 touchdowns, throwing 21 so far with three games remaining. The remodeling of the offensive line, including the arrival of Dalman, has also helped the Bears put together the second-best rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 151.9 yards on the ground per game.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson’s remarks about Drew Dalman are quite telling
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