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Caleb Williams reacted to the Chicago Bears trade for center Garrett Bradbury.
Well, that didn’t take long.
Just days after the Chicago Bears learned the surprising news that their Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman was retiring, general manager Ryan Poles found a replacement, trading for New England Patriots veteran Garrett Bradbury.
It was a move that seemed to please quarterback Caleb Williams. Shortly after the news of Bradbury’s addition broke, Williams posted a meme of Poles on his Instagram story that read: “Chef back in the kitchen,” a sign the young QB approved of the front office’s latest addition.
Dalman’s retirement created a significant hole in the middle of Chicago’s offensive line. The 27-year-old center had just completed his first season with the Bears starting all 17 games in 2025, and he helped stabilize the interior of the line for Williams during the quarterback’s second full season as a starter.
Now, Bradbury will step in.
More Background on the Bradbury Trade
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GettyCaleb Williams reacted to the Chicago Bears trade for center Garrett Bradbury.
Compensation-wise, the Bears are sending the Patriots a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for the center. The move won’t become official until the new league year begins.
Bradbury isn’t as talented or athletic as Tyler Linderbaum, but he’s durable and experienced. The former NC State standout entered the league as the 18th overall pick for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 draft after winning the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top college center in 2018. Since entering the league, Bradbury has played in 105 games, starting all 105.
He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Vikings before joining the Patriots in 2025. Last season, he started all 17 regular season games and four playoff games for New England on a team that reached the Super Bowl.
Bradbury is not considered an elite center, but he has been a steady starter for most of his career. According to PFF, he didn’t give up a sack during the 2025 season, and he wasn’t penalized once, either. PFF ranked him 30th among 40 qualifying centers and 23rd in pass blocking.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson likes that kind of discipline in his players, so Bradbury should be a good fit.
Caleb Williams & Garrett Bradbury’s Relationship Is Going to Be Huge for the Chicago Bears
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👀 Caleb Williams on IG… looks like he approves.
“Chef back in the kitchen.” 🔥
The Bears are expected to pay Bradbury about $4.7 million in 2026, making the trade a relatively affordable short-term solution. He has some big shoes to fill, and he and Williams will need to get their chemistry down in a relatively expedient fashion.
Williams had some cadence issues that led to multiple false starts at the beginning of the 2025 season, so he and Bradbury will have some work to do when training camp arrives.
With Bradbury the presumed starter, the Bears could still look to the 2026 NFL Draft for a long-term option at center.
As it stands, Chicago’s picks include Nos. 25, 57, 60, 89 and 129, along with two seventh-round selections. The team could also receive compensatory third-round picks if the league awards them for Ian Cunningham’s departure to the Atlanta Falcons under the NFL’s diversity hiring resolution.
Several intriguing young centers will be available, likely in the middle rounds of the draft. Connor Lew of Auburn, Jake Slaughter of Florida, Logan Jones of Iowa, Trey Zuhn III of Texas A&M and Matt Gulbin of Michigan State are among the top center prospects in the class.
The trade may not solve the position permanently, but it gives the Bears stability while they decide whether the long-term answer will come from the draft.