Drew Dalman retires at 27, just like his father did 26 years ago - Los Angeles Times

Chicago Bears Pro Bowl Drew Dalman shocked the NFL by retiring at age 27 with two years left on a lucrative contract.His father also retired early from the NFL.

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As the Chicago Bears cruised to an NFC North title and the playoffs, quarterback Caleb Williams took to social media to be prophetic about Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman.

"He's the mastermind behind it all."

Dalman informed the Bears on Tuesday that he is retiring, now at age 27, after just five NFL seasons.After playing every snap through 2025, the first year of a three-year deal worth $42 million.

The first reaction around the league was that the decision was crazy.However, according to further reviews, it may be the most reasonable change made this offseason.

Not long ago, most of the NFL players who were defensive linemen could not get up and out when they reached the peak of their earning potential. This is because their income is not enough to guarantee their financial security for a lifetime.

Instead, they did what football fans do - strap on their chins and play if their names stay on the roster.The risk of serious injury - including accident - is just the price of staying in business.

The Rams are working to complete a deal to acquire All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for four draft picks.

Chronic traumatic encephalitis?Early-onset dementia?

Today, you don't need to be a mechanical engineer to recognize that the equation has changed.Dahlman, who studied mechanical engineering at Stanford, has not yet said why he is retiring.

But it's safe to assume that includes nearly $24 million in four-year stretches with the Atlanta Falcons and another with the Bears, as well as a well-dated list of former players whose brains or other body parts no longer function properly due to the violent nature of the sport.

One of those players is Chris Dellman, who was an offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers from 1993-1999.He became temporarily paralyzed after suffering a neck injury during training camp in 2000, after which he retired at the age of 29.

Chris is Drew's father.He also graduated from Stanford and is currently the principal of a private school in Salinas, California, where he and his son attend.After retiring in 2000, Chris told reporters:

"The first time I was sick and I could not move, lying on the field for about 30 seconds, I knew it was over," he said."Still, it's amazing to think this part of your life is over."

After learning of his impending release by Arizona, quarterback Keeler Murray expressed his regrets about not being able to lead the Cardinals to a championship.He wrote on X: "Sorry to drop you."

Abruptly ending a career prematurely can’t be easy. It likely was as difficult for Drew Dalman as it was for his father. Yet the mountain of information regarding the link between repeated helmet-to-helmet hitting and CTE is irrefutable.

A 2023 Boston University study found that 345 of 376 (91.7%) postmortem brains of former NFL players had CTE, a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head trauma.The condition is associated with dementia, cognitive decline and increased risk of suicide among former players.

It remains to be seen whether many players will retire at their prime.Already, many have done so, the point guard Luke Kuechly at 28 and quarterback Andrew Luck at 29.

Losing Dallman was a blow for the Bears, but they should be fine.The $10 million in salary cap space freed up after his retirement could be used at one of several available free agent centers.

That means Williams — a former USC Heisman Trophy winner and blossoming NFL quarterback — will have to adjust to a new center a year after the Bears were excited about signing Dallman.

However, Williams' words in December about Dahlman's extraordinary brain were followed by something less prophetic.While showering the Bears center with praise, Williams said, "And he's the right man for the job for my future and our future here."

Dalman seems to have prioritized his future safety.