The Chicago Bears wasted no time fixing a major hole on their offensive line. 🏈
After Drew Dalman’s surprise retirement, Chicago has traded for veteran center Garrett Bradbury.

Bears Trade for Veteran Center Garrett Bradbury

The Chicago Bears have acquired center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, according to reports.

The move addresses one of the team’s biggest offseason needs after starting center Drew Dalman unexpectedly retired earlier this offseason.

Bradbury now becomes the likely starter as Chicago continues building around quarterback Caleb Williams.

Why the Bears Targeted Bradbury

Bradbury brings something the Bears needed immediately: experience.

The former 2019 first-round pick spent six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before joining the Patriots in 2025. Throughout his career, he has been a consistent starter and played a key role on New England’s offensive line last season.

For Chicago, that experience is important as the team prepares for a critical stage in Caleb Williams’ development under head coach Ben Johnson.

A Reliable, Durable Starter

Bradbury has built his career on durability and consistency.

Across seven NFL seasons, he has:

Logged thousands of offensive snaps
Played multiple seasons with nearly 1,100 snaps
Started nearly every game he has played

While his advanced metrics place him as more of a mid-tier starter, his reliability makes him a valuable addition for a team that suddenly needed a center.

How Bradbury Fits Chicago’s Offensive Line

With Dalman gone, the Bears had a major hole at center heading into free agency.

Adding Bradbury helps solve that problem quickly and provides stability for the offensive line.

His role will include:

Calling protections
Handling pre-snap adjustments
Helping keep the offensive line organized for Williams

The move may also give Chicago flexibility in the 2026 NFL Draft, allowing the team to draft a developmental center later rather than urgently filling the position early.

A Low-Risk Move for Chicago

The cost of the trade was modest.

Chicago only gave up a 2027 fifth-round pick, which often produces depth players rather than long-term starters.

Because the pick is from a future draft, the Bears effectively added a starting center without sacrificing major assets this year.

What’s Next for the Bears

Even after acquiring Bradbury, Chicago may still look to strengthen the offensive line through:

Free agency
The 2026 NFL Draft

With the center position stabilized, the Bears can now shift their focus to other needs such as:

Pass rush
Secondary depth
Additional offensive line help

For a team trying to maximize the potential of Caleb Williams, solving the center position early was a crucial step.