The Chicago Bears made a solid move early in the offseason, trading a late-round draft pick to acquire veteran center Garrett Bradbury. He wasn't supposed to face any opposition for the starting center spot after Drew Dalman abruptly retired last month, but that may not be the case anymore.
According to a report by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Bears are among a handful of teams currently keeping tabs on Kentucky center Jager Burton, a potential Day 2 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft:
"Kentucky C Jager Burton, one of the Draft's top few at his position, had visits to the Bengals, Bears, and Titans, source said, among others. A likely Day 2 picks," Rapoport shared on X.
Garrett Bradbury May Not be in Chicago for Long
The Bears are currently armed with seven draft selections, so they can definitely make this happen if Burton is still available by the time they're on the clock. Of course, it might take a while before he's ready to take the field and play meaningful snaps.
That said, Bradbury is entering the final year of his contract, so the Bears can have Burton sit behind him and learn from the sidelines for a year before unleashing him in 2027. That's far from an ideal outcome for Bradbury, who may have envisioned himself as a long-term solution at the position.
Still, this makes perfect sense for Ben Johnson's team. Bradbury is a good, not great player, and they can certainly do much better in the interior of the offensive line, which has been one of Ryan Poles' points of emphasis since last season.
Pro Football Focus gave Bradbury a 60.1 grade last season, which ranked 30th among 40 eligible centers. His run-block grade (56.2) was the fifth-lowest in the league, and he was just below average as a pass-protector (63.1, 23rd).
On the bright side, Bradbury only allowed 20 total pressures, four QB hits, and no sacks. Then again, the Patriots faced one of the easiest schedules in the entire league last season, so perhaps that should also be taken with a grain of salt.
The Bears have clear priorities, and that includes keeping Caleb Williams out of harm's way and opening up lanes for the running game. As such, they can do much better than just rolling the dice on Garrett Bradbury. He should be not much more than just a place-holder, especially if they already have a potential replacement in front of them.
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