After spending last season with the New England Patriots, former NC State center Garrett Bradbury is on the move again. This time, he's reportedly landing with the Chicago Bears in a trade once the free agency window begins. The Patriots received the Bears' fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange.
Bradbury is set to join his third team in the last three years after playing six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings prior to signing with the Patriots last offseason. The 2019 first-round pick signed a two-year deal with New England last offseason worth up to $12 million, with Chicago now owing him $4.7 million for the 2026 campaign.
The trade will not be processed until the new league year begins on Wednesday.
During his lone season with the Patriots, Bradbury started all 21 games between the regular season and playoffs, concluding with his first-ever trip to the Super Bowl. He played a total of 1,070 snaps with zero sacks allowed and zero penalties, which ranked at the top of all centers in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. His 63.1 pass-blocking grade ranked 23rd in the NFL.
Once he's in Chicago, Bradbury will reunite with former NC State offensive lineman Joe Thuney, who was at both guard and tackle for the Bears last season. Thuney earned the first-ever NFL Protector of the Year Award in his 10th year in the NFL and first year with the Chicago Bears to go along with four Super Bowl rings, five All-Pro selections, four Pro Bowls and much more.
While Bradbury didn't actually see time on the field until his redshirt sophomore season in 2016, the two were teammates in Raleigh in 2014 and 2015. Bradbury initially moved to the guard position with the Pack needing help there after Thuney was drafted by the Patriots in the 2016 NFL Draft, but eventually moved to center. But he really began to turn heads in 2017 before ultimately winning the Rimington Trophy, which is annually awarded to the top center in college football.
Now the two will reunite in Chicago for a team that finished last season with a resurgent 11-6 record overall, finished first place in the NFC North and won a Wild Card game in the playoffs. Suffice to say, they are in a great situation together for a franchise on the rise heading into the 2026 season.
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