When Chicago Bears left guard Joe Thuney suits up to take the field this upcoming season, he will have a new center to his right side, but it will be someone he is familiar with.
After 27-year-old Drew Dalman informed the Chicago Bears he was retiring, general manager Ryan Poles had to pivot to replace the Pro Bowl center. There were options for Poles to choose from, including Tyler Linderbaum, Tyler Biadasz, and Connor McGovern in free agency.
However, Poles took a different approach and traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for center Garrett Bradbury. The veteran center played six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before his lone season in New England.
Thuney and Bradbury were college teammates and roommates at North Carolina State, and the two will be in the same uniform again for at least the 2026 NFL season. The Bears’ left guard shared a post from his alma mater on his Instagram story to express his excitement.
Joe Thuney shared this post on his Instagram story.
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) March 10, 2026
He's clearly happy to reunite with college teammate, Garrett Bradbury. pic.twitter.com/fhtvRdMr3B
Joe Thuney loved the Bears trading for Garrett Bradbury
In the post, Thuney linked to the song “New Beginnings,” and that’s exactly what the former college teammates will encounter this upcoming season. That chemistry they once had will have to show up and remain consistent as the Bears look to build off an encouraging season under coach Ben Johnson.
One of the reasons the Bears won 11 games, clinched the NFC North, and defeated the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs was the consistency of the interior offensive line. Thuney, Dalman, and right guard Jonah Jackson played well as a unit in their first season together. Bradbury, a former first-round pick in 2019, will have to prove he can anchor the center position with the void that was left.
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That responsibility will include helping third-year quarterback Caleb Williams as the two learn the intricacies of Johnson’s system. There is a lot of pressure on Bradbury, but it does help having a talented friend like Thuney to lean on this upcoming season.