After three underwhelming seasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally gave up on Luke Fortner last year. When they drafted him in 2022, they thought that the former Kentucky Wildcat could be the long-term answer at center, but that didn't turn out to be the case. With head coach Liam Coen taking over in 2025, the Jags made it a priority to upgrade the position, signing veteran Robert Hainsey in free agency.
Hainsey quickly won the starting job, and Fortner was shipped to the New Orleans Saints just before the regular season. Fast forward to 2026, and the decision looks great, especially when you take into account that Jacksonville could've gone a different route with Drew Dalman. Based on the latest news, the team's brass made the right call.
Drew Dalman announced his retirement after signing with the Chicago Bears in 2025
Drew Dalman turned heads across the NFL when he informed the Chicago Bears that he's stepping away from football just one year after inking a three-year deal worth $42 million last offseason.
Because Dalman is retiring with two years left on his deal, Chicago could try to recoup $4 million of the $6 million signing bonus he got when he joined the Bears. In an NFL career that spanned five seasons, the former Stanford Cardinal appeared in 74 games with 57 starts.
A fourth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, Dalman was the top center available in last year's free agency. He ended up landing in the Windy City, where he went on to start all 17 games. With him hanging up the cleats, though, the Bears are back at square one at center.
Following the Dalman news, the Bears host Tyler Biadasz, who last suited up for the Washington Commanders. If Chicago rolls with him, there'll be a steep drop-off at the position.
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The Jaguars were right to choose Robert Hainsey over Drew Dalman
Unlike this year, the Jaguars had ample cap space last year, so signing Drew Dalman seemed like a realistic possibility. However, Liam Coen rolled with his guy, Robert Hainsey, who was benched the year prior but had ample starting experience.
Now, Hainsey was far from perfect but most definitely brougth stability at center, giving up just three sacks and 27 total pressures. Solid numbers and a substantial improvement from Luke Fortner, who was one of the worst centers in the league in 2024.
Hainsey is now entering his second season as the starting center. Even if he needs to hold off sophomore Jonah Monheim to keep his job, there's no doubt that the team's brass got it right last year. Sure, Dalman was coming off a better season, but if the Jags had gone with him, they would be in the same position Chicago is currently in.
Of course, neither the Bears nor the Jaguars would have guessed that Drew Dalman would hang up his cleats, but the retirement news makes the Robert Hainsey signing look retroactively better.