The Chicago Bears' joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals was a good learning lesson for the team and a good indicator of where they are in their development.
Chicago found success on offense, scoring three red-zone touchdowns in the first five plays. Overall, the passing game was a highlight for the Bears in practice, showing they have a chance to be great in 2026.
A concerning aspect of the practice has raised new questions. Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and the defensive line had a field day with the Bears' offensive line, generating a ton of pressure on Caleb Williams. If Lawrence is the one doing the work, that suggests there may be issues with new starting center Garrett Bradbury.
Bears have some new questions about Garrett Bradbury after joint practice with Bengals
The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain shared his full observations from the Bears-Bengals joint practice. Fishbain had a section on Bradbury and how his struggles with the offensive line might be tied to him.
"The pressure on Williams often seemed to come from the interior. That’ll happen when Lawrence is on the other side, and we don’t know who didn’t get a block or an assignment.
That’s why it’ll be interesting to see how it all looks for Bradbury, the one new piece of the Bears’ interior offensive line."
"We haven’t seen or heard any indications that Bradbury is at risk of entering a competition with rookie Logan Jones just yet, and a review of the tape may show flaws across the board that led to the Bengals’ success. As the communicator up front, Bradbury has a big role in keeping Williams clean."
In 642 pass-blocking snaps as the New England Patriots' starting center, he allowed 20 pressures and four quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 60.1, ranking 30th out of 40 centers in the NFL. He had a pass-blocking grade of 63.1 and a run-blocking grade of 56.2.
When the Bears traded for Bradbury in the offseason after the stunning retirement of Pro Bowler Drew Dalman's stunning retirement, everyone knew Bradbury was a short-term solution. Bradbury was never that great of a starting center in the NFL, but he was good enough to hold down the job in Year 1 while Jones learned behind him.
It is a bit of a surprise to hear about the issues with Bradbury, since the coaching staff and teammates praised him throughout training camp. All indications suggested there was no competition at center, and the job was Bradbury's.
He still seems to be holding on to the job, and one bad day of practice shouldn't bring up that question. At the same time, it might be something Bears fans have to brace for throughout the season.
Let's be honest, Bradbury may not be getting the best reps or proper preparation in training camp. No offense to the Bears' defensive line, but there are no Lawrences there to help him be ready to face one of the best defensive tackles in the game.
Read more: Bears might be closer to a Tyrique Stevenson comeback than they think
Bears fans can chalk it up to a bad day of work for Bradbury, but this might end up being a recurring problem throughout the season. It's nothing to panic about yet. At the same time, it's something to monitor.
Add us as a preferred source on Google