Going into the offseason, there was so much optimism that the offensive line of the Chicago Bears was going to be intact for a long time.
Outside of what is going on at left tackle for the 2026 season, the group was going to be together for a few years before one decision completely flipped the offseason on its head. Bears starting center Drew Dalman retired, leading to a trade for Garrett Bradbury to take over.
The fan base was content with Bradbury for the time being, and even for the future if he did well, but of course, that changed course. Iowa center Logan Jones came into the picture after being selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and while some believe he will be on the bench for one year behind Bradbury, fans shouldn't be quick to jump into that.
Bears fans are getting the center position battle they didn't want to have
There's a lot going for Jones as a rookie, as he was projected by many to be the best center in the draft. His 4.9-second 40 time at the NFL Combine got everyone's attention early on and showed his athleticism and quickness on the line.
Bradbury has been a reliable center in this league for a long time, from his tenures with the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. He has never been an elite starter, though, and is more of a veteran bridge-type center, with the good part about him being that he is reliable and will stay on the field for them.
It's more than likely that Bradbury will end up getting the starting job due to his experience and the chemistry he already has with his former roommate, and Bears left guard Joe Thuney. In the complex offensive scheme Bears head coach Ben Johnson has in place, it might be the safer choice to have the veteran handle things.
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Jones is no doubt the future, but he might be able to push Bradbury in training camp to become a Day 1 starter. After the success of playing a rookie with Ozzy Trapilo at left tackle, it's not a bad idea to do it either. This is one battle that might not be decided until right before kickoff of Week 1 of the regular season.
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