The Chicago Bears showed their cards by making a big move to address the center position after Drew Dalman's retirement, going into the new league year in a way fans did not see coming.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles executed a trade with the New England Patriots as they landed center Garrett Bradbury. Chicago only had to give up a 2027 fifth-round pick in the process, making the trade on paper look decent.
Much of the concern is that Bradbury was not a highly graded center in the NFL last year, with Pro Football Focus giving him a 60.1, ranking 30th out of 40 in the league, but he didn't allow a single sack or commit a penalty during the season. While Bears fans aren't completely sold on Bradbury, that doesn't mean the team should stop looking for a center.
Bears still have work to do at center during the offseason
Bradbury is a band-aid fix for the Bears, keeping someone in place for the 2026 season until they come up with a longer-term solution. He is in the final year of his initial two-year deal, which he signed with the Patriots last offseason, and will have a cap hit of $5.7 million.
Chicago still needs a solution for after the 2026 season, as Bradbury doesn't appear to be the guy right now. The only way he stays is if he has a Pro Bowl-caliber season, but he's been known more as an average starter in the NFL.
What the Bears need to do is use the draft to develop a future starter. Iowa center Logan Jones got a ton of attention for his work at the NFL Combine and won the Rimington Trophy in 2025 as the nation's best center. Jones is projected to be a Day 2 or 3 pick, so that would be the perfect solution for the Bears, as they don't waste a first-round pick on the offensive line while still getting a starting-caliber player for the future.
Read more: Bears just lost their best Drew Dalman replacement before free agency starts
Chicago has options at center to continue building on it and not stop at Bradbury, but they must keep going with what they have started there. If Bradbury is seen as the future at the position for the Bears, there might be bigger questions the Bears' fan base needs to ask moving forward.