Just three days after losing Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman to a stunning early retirement, the Bears have found his successor, acquiring Garrett Bradbury from the Patriots for a 2027 fifth-round pick, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
Bradbury, 30, spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Vikings. The 2019 first-rounder then signed with the Patriots last offseason as part of New England’s major spending spree. He started all 17 games in 2025 as the Patriots rose from one of the league’s worst teams to AFC champions under Mike Vrabel, eventually falling to the Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.
The Bears experienced a similar rise in their first season under Ben Johnson, and an offensive line overhaul was a major reason. Chicago traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and put Dalman in between them with a three-year, $42 million contract. He only played one of those three years, though, before calling it a career.
Chicago has already been plenty busy this offseason, trading wide receiver DJ Moore to the Bills and releasing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Bears had a lot of work to do to become salary-cap compliant, and both of those moves helped. Now, they’re hoping to help their on-field product by adding a veteran center after the unexpected Dalman departure.
Here’s how Chicago and New England fared in this deal:
Chicago Bears: B-
The Bears were put in a tough spot with the Dalman retirement. They already didn’t have a ton of wiggle room, salary cap-wise, to make a ton of improvements, and his departure created another significant hole. Everything Johnson wants to do on offense revolves around having a solid offensive line, and with questions at left tackle — Braxton Jones is a free agent, and Ozzy Trapilo is expected to miss most of the 2026 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs — Chicago could ill afford another loss.
Acquiring Bradbury is a solid move. It’s nothing spectacular. He’ll replace Dalman positionally, but it’s unlikely he’ll replace his level of play. Dalman was Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 center last year; Bradbury was 29th, and he has never been in the top 10 of the positional ranking in his career. He did not allow a sack last year, but he did allow 29 pressures. For what it’s worth, Dalman allowed 31. The difference was in the run blocking department.
Remember, though, that one of Johnson’s best aspects is his ability to get the best out of his linemen. He did that throughout his time with the Lions, and that carried over last year with the Bears. He gets a lot of recognition for his play designs, play calling and creativity, but the soundness of his protection plans should not be under-appreciated. Bradbury will be surrounded by at least three above-average starters — including Thuney, his college teammate and road-trip roommate — in an excellent system. If Johnson thinks Bradbury can be a good fit, it’s wise to fall in line.
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New England Patriots: B
Jared Wilson, who played left guard as a rookie, projects to move to center, per multiple reports. As such, New England will be in the market for a left guard — one who can not only support Wilson in his move back to his natural position but also support left tackle Will Campbell, who struggled in the playoffs.
The good news for the Patriots is that there are several solid guards on the free agent market, where they’re projected to have over $35 million to spend, per Over The Cap. They could look in their own division if Bills starter David Edwards suits their fancy, but there are plenty of options.
Bradbury wasn’t a massive acquisition last year (two years, $9.5 million) but an important one. The difference between bad (what the Patriots’ center situation was in Drake Maye’s rookie year) and OK (what Bradbury was last year) proved very important.
New England hasn’t had the best offseason so far with the Stefon Diggs release creating a need at wide receiver, but it’s hard to fault this move. Vrabel, GM Eliot Wolf and, of course, Maye have improved this team so quickly, it’s easy to forget they’re still building. They’ll hope Wilson’s transition to center and the left guard coming in continue to improve the situation in front of the franchise quarterback. Getting a fifth-round pick in the process — for a player entering the final year of his deal — is good business.
