Iowa native Logan Jones aims to be Bears' long-term center solution

The Chicago Bears believe they have found their center of the future in Logan Jones, a Council Bluffs native and former Iowa Hawkeye standout. Drafted in the second round this April, Jones is expected to eventually anchor the Bears' offensive line after years of instability at the position.

The Bears selected Jones with the 57th pick after veteran Drew Dalman's surprise retirement in March forced the team to pivot. Jones became the first center taken in this year's draft, signaling how high a priority the position was for general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson.

From Council Bluffs to Chicago

Jones grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. At Lewis Central High School, he played both offensive and defensive line. He was a four-star recruit and the top-rated prospect from Iowa in 2020, choosing the Hawkeyes over Iowa State, Nebraska, and Minnesota.

Jones began his college career as a defensive tackle and redshirted his freshman year in 2020. When Tyler Linderbaum left for the NFL after the 2021 season, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz converted Jones to center, a position he had played some in high school.

“Even during those growing pains we had the first year, you knew where it was going to end up one day,” Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett said. “You just didn't know which day, but you knew it would be worth it just because of the type of person he is and how he carries himself on a daily basis.”

Jones started 51 games over four years as the Hawkeyes center, culminating in an All-America season and the Rimington Trophy as college football's best center in 2025.

Why the Bears drafted him

The Bears signed Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract in March 2025. He was supposed to be the solution to a center problem that had nagged the Bears since Olin Kreutz last played for them in 2010. Even under Poles, who took over in 2022, the Bears cycled through a new starting center every year: Sam Mustipher in 2022, Lucas Patrick in 2023, Coleman Shelton in 2024, and Dalman last season.

But Dalman, 27, retired after a Pro Bowl season in 2025. The Bears traded for veteran Garrett Bradbury, who has one year remaining on his contract, but Poles wanted a long-term solution as well.

“Obviously that's been a tough position for us since I've been here, really,” Poles said after drafting Jones. “So we had an opportunity to bring Logan in, and he's a high-character guy, really smart, fits our scheme.”

The Bears hadn't drafted a center since 2018, when they selected James Daniels, also out of Iowa and also with a second-round pick. Daniels wound up playing guard for much of his Bears tenure. The hope is Jones can develop into a long-term solution who will play in orange and blue for years to come.

What his coaches say

The Bears were impressed with Jones after he visited Halas Hall before the draft.

“Football is a priority for him,” offensive line coach Dan Roushar said. “You can feel that in everything he's done, and that checks all the boxes with our conversations with Kirk Ferentz, his position coach George Barnett. He's been fantastic.”

Iowa runs a pro-style offense. Barnett saw a center who was calm under pressure and could handle protection changes and communicate with his fellow linemen.

“His ability to communicate and see defenses is really good,” Barnett said. “You could probably attribute that some to the fact that he played on that side of the ball. He had a little head start of seeing what defenses are trying to do and certain line calls. Being able to adjust calls in the middle of a look. This kid sees the big picture really well, and it's this ability to get everybody on the same page and it goes back to leadership.”

Barnett was struck by how Jones was fueled by the success he found after moving to center. Once he had established himself as one of the nation's best centers, Barnett said Jones worked even harder.

“That's kind of the Iowa way,” Barnett said. “You don't pat yourself on the back. You just keep working.”

What Jones says

Jones is hard at work learning Johnson's offense. Because the center takes on protection adjustments at the line of scrimmage, the position can be difficult for rookies.

“There's a lot that I've got to work on, to get better at,” Jones said. “In our offense, they put a lot on the center's plate, which is honestly kind of fun. I like that, to be able to learn, grow and go through all that and just continue to learn the game. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I know I've got a long road ahead of me.”

Jones said he studied Johnson's wide-zone running scheme closely when he was at Iowa. The Hawkeyes used similar concepts.

“I think it's the best scheme out there, honestly,” Jones said. “Just being able to run the football, be aggressive, fast, physical, it makes it really hard on defenses.”

What he needs to prove during training camp

Notably, Johnson said the “ball is in his court” in terms of when Jones will emerge as the starting center. The Bears seem more comfortable with a veteran manning that spot for now as Jones learns the offense.

Roushar sees an opportunity for Jones to learn from Bradbury.

“Garrett's veteranship — there's a lot of experience,” Roushar said. “And in that experience he will share things with Logan that maybe accelerate the learning curve.”

The Bears will cross-train Jones, as they do with all of their linemen, so that he could play guard if needed. But it might be a little while before fans see Jones starting at center.

At Iowa, Jones was very much a team-first guy. Barnett noted that the approach never changed, even after Jones emerged as one of the nation's best centers.

“When Logan came back his last year, there was never a conversation about NIL or what are you guys going to do for me,” Barnett said. “Not one. That's just who he is.”

The Bears foresee Jones taking the same approach to his rookie season behind Bradbury.