Days after Drew Dalman’s stunning retirement from the NFL, the Bears have added an option at center before free agency opens.

The Bears acquired center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, though the trade cannot officially process until the new league year begins on March 11. ESPN reported the terms of the deal first.

Bradbury, 30, spent the first six seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings before signing a two-year, $9.5 million deal with the Patriots last spring. In New England, Bradbury started all 17 regular-season and four postseason games, including Super Bowl LX.

Last season, Bradbury was not flagged for a penalty and did not allow a sack in 642 pass block snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

Bradbury carries a $6.9 million salary-cap hit in 2026, according to salary website Over The Cap, but will only count for $5.7 million against the Bears’ cap with $1.2 million in dead money staying against the Patriots’ books.

CHGO’s staff weighs in on the news:

Adam Jahns: It’s best to have certainty. The Bears needed to fill the center position before the NFL draft. It was a priority. 

But why not Tyler Linderbaum? He’s the best center available. Or Connor McGovern?

It could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe the Bears have a feeling that their markets are too robust and rich for their own contract parameters? Maybe general manager Ryan Poles already learned that Linderbaum and McGovern are headed to other teams? 

Or maybe coach Ben Johnson simply liked Bradbury and the team wanted to spend their resources on other positions? 

By agreeing to trade for Bradbury, the Bears know now they have a center who is capable of filling the void left by Drew Dalman. They won’t leave free agency empty-ended and in a panic. Bradbury is smart, experienced and durable. He just played a role in the development of quarterback Drake Maye, too.

Patrick Norton: All along, we’ve heard “Trust in Ben Johnson.” For good reason, too. Why stop now? Last year, he and Ryan Poles orchestrated two under-the-radar pre-free agency moves to acquire guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. The price for Thuney was a fourth-round pick. The price for Bradbury is a fifth-rounder.

That isn’t to say we should expect Bradbury to win Protector of the Year at next year’s NFL Honors like his former college teammate Thuney; it’s about finding value where other teams seem disinterested or unable to afford an asset. Bradbury will count for $5.7 million against the cap in 2026, and while he might not bring the same level of play as Drew Dalman, the extra few million the Bears will save against the cap can go a long way in making some critical additions along the defensive line or to the currently non-existent safeties group.

I’d also pencil in a draft pick allocated for a center. It might not be the most talented position group in the draft, but there are some eventual starting-caliber players who should be available in the middle rounds, like Kentucky’s Jager Burton or Florida’s Jake Slaughter. 

Mark Carman: Garrett Bradbury, come on down. Feels like a reasonable play by the Bears, who, suddenly and seemingly, have all the needs. Ben Johnson knows him well and Bradbury knows the division well. Bradbury also knows what it is like to partner with a young quarterback and get to the Super Bowl in one year’s time. That works. It also keeps a good amount of money available with his salary coming in at just under $6 million. It’s not sexy, but it plays. An on-the-fly Carm Grade of the trade? B+.