It was all Garrett Bradbury could do not to cry during the national anthem. Playing in this year’s Super Bowl was the highlight of his career.
“You can’t put a price tag on it,” he said.
The Bears, though, did. One of the things that drew them to the Patriots center — and eventually prompted a trade last week to replace the retiring Drew Dalman — was the success he had last year with the AFC champion Patriots.
It wasn’t just that the Patriots made the Super Bowl, either — it was how they did it. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye went from a promising rookie to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, finishing second in the league in MVP voting.
“Caleb [Williams] is the same age,” Bradbury said Thursday. “It’s the same process of, I want to get to know them and they want to get to know me, and if there are ways I can help them.”
He’ll pick his spots, though. Since the Vikings made Bradbury a first-round pick in 2019, he’s learned when to interject when dealing with his quarterback — be it Kirk Cousins for five years, Sam Darnold for one magical season or Maye last year.
“The quarterback position is so unique …” he said. “There’s so many people talking to them, there’s so much on their plate that you don’t want to be a guy that just adds to that.”
When Dalman retired, the Bears front office met with coach Ben Johnson and offensive line coaches Dan Roushar and Kyle DeVan to canvas the league for a center that fit the team’s outside zone run scheme. Bradbury stood out — like Dalman, he was nimble, if undersized. He was available because the Patriots wanted to move guard Jared Wilson, a third-round pick last year, to center.
Bradbury’s experience — both with winning and developing a quarterback — will resonate inside Halas Hall. When the Bears reached the playoffs for the first time in five years, many of their best veteran players — from Montez Sweat to DJ Moore, Cole Kmet to Jaylon Johnson — were experiencing their first-ever winning seasons as professions.
This year, with the Bears wanting to take the next step, requires players who have been there before.
Championship-level leadership was one of the three common traits of the Bears’ free agent signees, general manager Ryan Poles said, along with speed and passion. The Bears’ priciest offseason free-agent signing, safety Coby Bryant, was on the Seahawks team that beat Bradbury in the Super Bowl.
Bryant was the lone defensive starter to leave a unit that gave up the fewest points in the NFL last year. Poles said that immediately after signing him, he heard from opposing coaches and front office members “how pissed off Seattle was” that the Bears lured him away. He considers that a good sign
Bryant remembers telling friends the Bears would beat the Rams and advance to play them in the NFC title game. He watched the game intently.
“It was a big reason why I came here,” he said. “I’ve seen the winning culture, the head coach and just the coaching staff.”
If there was a secret to the Super Bowl-winning season, Bryant said, it was in the process.
“Don’t get complacent,” he said, “and each week, just continue to get better.”
When Bradbury signed with the Patriots last year, they were coming off a 4-13 season. Coach Mike Vrabel, though, proceeded to instill a work ethic in his new team. He senses Johnson is the same way.
“You have to have an identity in this league as a team, how you play football, how you go about your business,” Bradbury said. “I see that with the Bears.”
And he knows what a conference champion looks like.
“You don’t make comparisons, you don’t make predictions, but you show up and work,” Bradbury said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to.”