With the Bears pro bowl center, Drew Dalman surprisingly retiring earlier this week, The Chicago Bears had a huge hole in the offensive line. Three days later, Ryan Poles agreed to a deal with the New England Patriots for center, Garret Bradbury in exchange for a 2027 5th round pick. Bradbury fills a need for Chicago, allowing the Bears to be aggressive else where in free agency and the draft.
While Garrett Bradybury ranked 26th out of 32 league eligible centers, he is only a $6.9m cap hit in 2026 and is a free agent in 2027. Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles have been adamant about a veteran center aligning with their young quarterback in Caleb Williams. They got that today in the former first round pick. Bradbury is a seven year veteran with playoff experience with the Vikings and a Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots.
Bradbury's statistics:
Graded 60.1 by PFF, 30/40 Centers
59.8 offensive grade (career 2nd-worst, 30th in NFL)
55.7 run blocking grade (career 2nd-worst, 35th in NFL))
63.1 pass blocking grade (career 2nd-best, 23rd in NFL)
16 QB hurries allowed (9th most among C's)
4 QB hits allowed (T-4th most among C's)
23 QB pressures allowed (T-10th most among C's)
0 Penalties
0 Sacks
642 pass blocking snaps
1,070 snaps
Garrett Bradbury is a solid addition for the Chicago Bears. Filling a hole with a veteran that is more than just serviceable. Having trust in Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson, and Dan Roushar is vital for the Bears fanbase as the Bears offensive line went from the worst in the league to a top three unit this past season.