After Drew Dalman’s shock retirement, one player is already commanding the line. Coach Ben Johnson raves about the newcomer’s elite communication and vocal leadership during OTAs.
The Chicago Bears had to make a quick pivot after Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman retired.
Dalman spent one season with the Bears and made an immediate impact. He played in every game, including the postseason.
He was one of four Bears players who made the Pro Bowl, with left guard Joe Thuney, safety Kevin Byard, and cornerback Nahshon Wright. Wright was initially left off the Pro Bowl roster, but was a late addition due to an injury.
Just before free agency, Dalman announced that he would be retiring from football. Luckily for the Bears, they had a plan.
General Manager Ryan Poles traded for center Garrett Bradbury with the New England Patriots.
It was later revealed that Dalman had given the front office a heads-up that he was planning to retire a couple of months early, before his decision. This softened the blow for Bears fans, as they realized that Dalman had the franchise's best interests in mind.
Bradbury had a very productive 2025 season with the Patriots.
He played in every regular-season game and was on the field for 98% of the offense's snaps. He was then on the field for 100% of the team's snaps in the playoffs and didn't allow a single sack. Bradbury also went without being flagged once.
The Bears held their first day of OTAs on Thursday, and new additions like Bradbury were on the field for the first time. Head coach Ben Johnson was impressed by the veteran center.
He highlighted Bradbury's communication especially.
"A guy like Garrett Bradbury, impressed day one, just with the level of communication that he brings to the table," Johnson said. "He's loud. He's demonstrative. I know that he's going to be able to get all five guys on the same page."
Dalman is a tough act to follow, but it sounds like Bradbury is already off to a good start.
The Bears' offense improved significantly in 2025 behind one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Caleb Williams went from being one of the most-sacked quarterbacks to one of the least-sacked, and it showed in how well the offense ran.
Williams was sacked just 24 times last season, which was the third-fewest in the league.
It may take a little for Bradbury to mesh with his new teammates on the offensive line, but he's already making an impact at OTAs.
It'll be interesting to see if the Bears' offensive line can be just as dominant in 2026 after losing a great player like Dalman.
For Bradbury, it sounds like he's already fitting in pretty well with the Bears.
