The Chicago Bears aren’t wasting time when it comes to finding a new center on the offensive line. The Bears are acquiring center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The trade was first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. The deal cannot be finalized until the start of the new league year on Wednesday. The move comes just days after the sudden news that Bears center Drew Dalman was retiring from the NFL.
Bradbury is very familiar with the Bears from his days with the Minnesota Vikings. He was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft and anchored their offensive line through the 2024 season. Minnesota released Bradbury last offseason, and he signed a two-year deal to join the New England Patriots. Bradbury was an integral part of their Super Bowl run, starting all 17 games for the Patriots in the regular season and four postseason games. In the regular season, Bradbury allowed no sacks, four hits, and 20 pressures.
In a matter of a few days, the Bears went from Dalman anchoring their offensive line, to fans wondering if the team could break the bank for perennial Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum. Instead, they found their way to Bradbury who rejoins the NFC North. Here is our initial grade of the trade.
Trade details
Initial grade: B
The buildup to NFL free agency is always chaotic in some way, but the Bears having to manage a surprise retirement of their Pro Bowl center added a unique wrinkle to the week. Even if Chicago had some inkling this was coming, they had to move quickly to adjust their plans and find a suitable replacement. And while Bradbury isn’t the caliber of player that Linderbaum is, he’s more than capable of doing the job for what the Bears will be asking of him.
Interestingly enough, this will be the second year in a row Bradbury is taking over for a Pro Bowler at his position. He replaced David Andrews with the Patriots last year and performed well overall, allowing no sacks, four QB hits, 20 pressures, and 16 hurries in all 17 games in the regular season. That was also while playing next to rookie Jared Wilson, who struggled mightily at left guard. In fact, a big reason why the Patriots are willing to move on from Bradbury is their desire to put Wilson at the position, his natural position coming out of college. With Bradbury set to play in between Joe Thuney (his former college teammate) and Jonah Jackson, he should be just fine.
The other benefit of having Bradbury on the roster is his experience with both young and experienced quarterbacks. He was Kirk Cousins’ battery mate for five seasons with the Vikings before snapping the ball to Drake Maye last season. Both quarterbacks were successful with him out in front, and that bodes well for Caleb Williams, who relied heavily on Dalman last year.
As far as Bradbury’s skillset goes, he fits the Bears’ outside zone scheme as a slightly smaller center who is quick on his feet. He isn’t going to overpower defensive tackles on first contact, but he absorbs blocks well enough to keep things from falling apart. Ben Johnson has seen him up close for a few years now during his days running the Detroit Lions offense and believes he’s a player who can anchor his offense. There are concerns, though.
Bradbury looked overmatched in Super Bowl 60 against the Seattle Seahawks, allowing six pressures and one sack in the 29-13 loss via The Viking Age. His effectiveness when it comes to run blocking also leaves something to be desired, which was a strength of Dalman’s. That could become an issue, especially considering run blocking isn’t Thuney’s strength either. The Bears’ rushing attack was a big strength of theirs last season, and time will tell if that continues in 2026.
At least there isn’t a significant financial component to this deal. Bradbury signed a two-year contract with the Patriots worth $9.5 million last year and is owed just $4.7 million by the Bears this year. That’s more than palatable and still allows them to keep their options open with the position.
The reaction to this trade has fans split, and it’s understandable. A week ago, no one could imagine the Bears having a need at center, and now everyone has whiplash seeing Bradbury as the solution (for now). Had this deal happened a week from now if the Bears missed out on players like Linderbaum or Connor McGovern, it would be viewed much differently. The fact it was announced before free agency even opened irks people because they believe the Bears didn’t take a big swing.
There’s also the notion that the Bears are doing what they have always done at key offensive line positions, which is settle for average players instead of finding elite talent. Bradbury certainly falls into the former category, but putting two Pro Bowl-caliber guards on either side of him will help minimize any issues. The Bears didn’t have that luxury a few years ago. It’s a decent move with Bradbury on a manageable contract for very little draft capital going back to the Patriots. It’s not the splashy move, but it’s effective enough for the time being.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grading the Bears’ trade for Garrett Bradbury
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
