February 8, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; New England Patriots center Garrett Bradbury (65) records a block against quarterback Drake May (10) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Image According to multiple reports, the Chicago Bears immediately acted to fill their center vacancy, acquiring Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.
The deal is expected to become official on Wednesday, when the new NFL year begins.
This trade was completed three days after Chicago center Drew Dahlman announced his retirement. The Bears officially placed Dalman on the reserve/retired list on Friday.
Bradbury started all 17 regular season games for the Patriots last season, as well as all four playoff games, including the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $3.7 million and a cap hit of $5.7 million in 2026 during the final season of his two-year contract.
Bradbury, 30, spent his first six NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him in the first round (18th overall) of the 2019 draft out of North Carolina. He signed a two-year, $9.5 million free agent contract with New England last March.
Bradbury has played in all 105 NFL games as a starter and has appeared in at least 12 games each season.
With his departure, the Patriots are expected to have left guard Jared Wilson as their new center. Wilson, a 2025 third-round pick out of Georgia, started all 13 regular season games and all four playoff games for New England as a rookie.
Dalman, 27, called it a career after being named a Pro Bowl nod in his fifth NFL season. He played in 57 games (40 starts) for the Atlanta Falcons over four years before starting all 17 games for Chicago last year.
–Field level media
