Neither Chargers nor Kris Dielman will confirm, and it goes against what many previously believed, but I'm told Kris Dielman is retiring.

— S.D. U-T Chargers (@sdutChargers) February 27, 2012

First off, I've been saying for weeks now that Dielman is going to retire. I have no sources on the matter, I just tried putting myself in his shoes (which isn't that far-fetched considering that Dielman has always been thought of as "a thinking man's lineman" rather than a brute) and thought, "There's no way in hell I'd come back and risk my health at this point. I've made my money and my mark on the game, it's time to move on to the next stage of my life."

It would appear that Dielman has come to a similar conclusion. Acee is quick to point out that he hasn't gotten the story confirmed, but I also know that he wouldn't tweet this information unless he trusted his source and thought that Dielman would be announcing his retirement shortly.

If Kris does indeed retire, it's just one more hole that the Chargers' front office will have to try and fill during this tumultuous offseason. On a lighter note, there are some new openings on the BFTB staff and I am formally extending an invitation for Kris Dielman to join our team upon his retirement from the NFL. There are no benefits to speak of, but I promise that the work environment will result in fewer concussions.