Chicago acquires Super Bowl-winning center Garrett Bradbury to anchor the offensive line after Drew Dalman's surprising retirement.
The Chicago Bears didn't take very long to find their next starting center.
The Bears were rocked by Drew Dalman's decision to retire from the NFL earlier this week. Now, the franchise has found its next center in Garrett Bradbury, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Bradbury entered the league in 2019 and was drafted out of N.C. State by the Minnesota Vikings. He played several positions at N.C. State, including tight end, guard and center.
He was a tight end as a freshman before making the switch to the offensive line as a sophomore. Bradbury moved to guard at first before settling on center later on in his college career.
He's spent the majority of his NFL career with the Vikings, playing for them from 2019-2024. He joined the New England Patriots in free agency last offseason on a two-year, $12 million deal.
Now, he's heading to the Windy City once the new league year begins on March 11.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Bears sent a 2027 fifth-round pick for Bradbury.
Patriots reporter Alexandra Francisco shared what kind of player Bradbury is on and off the field.
"He was huge for the Patriots on and off the field this year," Francisco said. "Started in every game. Organized the OL’s weekly dinners and & community events they hosted as a group. Helped the rookies get acclimated to the NFL and just an overall great dude in the locker room. Wish him nothing but the best!"
Bradbury has been very consistent the last two seasons. He played in all 17 regular-season games for the Vikings and then the Patriots in 2024 and 2025.
In 2025, he played 1,070 regular-season snaps and was on the field for 98% of the team's total snaps. Bradbury wasn't penalized and didn't let up a single sack in the regular season. He didn't miss a single snap for the Patriots in the postseason.
It seems that the Bears weren't comfortable enough with Luke Newman as their center for 2026. Newman stated in an interview last year at training camp that he has always been more comfortable playing center.
If the Bears went with Newman at center, it would save them some money as well, as he is still currently on his rookie deal after being selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Newman's rookie deal is currently for four years and worth $4.4 million.
With Bradbury, his base salary is going to be $3.7 million for 2026, with $2 million in bonuses and incentives. This means that his total cap hit will be at $5.7 million for the Bears.
That is less than the $10 million the Bears will save with Dalman's retirement, but Bradbury is still a quality veteran.
Will Bradbury be able to fill Dalman's shoes with the Bears? Only time will tell.
Dalman made the Pro Bowl in his first and only season with the Bears before retiring.
This is great news for Chicago, as now the only need along the offensive line is at left tackle. Ozzy Trapilo started several games there last season but suffered a season-ending patellar injury, which is expected to sideline him for most of the 2026 season.
Chicago's next starting center was in Foxborough this whole time.