Ex-Viking a Trade Candidate After 2 Months With New Team
Not uncommon in the last decade, in 2019 the Minnesota Vikings wanted to upgrade their struggling offensive line. With their first-round draft choice, they selected center Garrett Bradbury, who would be a six-year starter for them.
Last year, the franchise released him and he moved on to the New England Patriots. Earlier this offseason, Bradbury was traded to Chicago to replace retired veteran Drew Dalman.
That marriage might not last too much longer, as the Bears invested a second-round pick to acquire Iowa’s Logan Jones, who’s expected to start sooner rather than later. About two months after arriving in Chicago, Bradbury is already surfacing in trade rumors.
Mike Moraitis of SI.com floated the idea that shipping him elsewhere could be in play if a team offered the fifth-rounder the Bears spent in their trade package.
He wrote, “If Jones goes on to win the starting competition, there’s a chance Bradbury’s stint with the Bears won’t last past the offseason. Of course, Chicago would likely want to hang on to the veteran as insurance for Jones, but the franchise may want to get back the fifth-round pick it gave up in the trade considering how valuable 2027 selections are with how much hype there is for what is supposed to be a stacked draft class.”
Bradbury’s advantage is the experience he brings to the table. In his seven NFL seasons, he has started 105 regular-season games and 8 playoff games, including February’s Super Bowl.
Moraitis added, “The deck is obviously stacked against Jones winning because of Bradbury’s experience, but it’s not like he’s some unbeatable force at center. Bradbury posted Pro Football Focus grades of 63.1 in pass protection (23rd) and 56.2 in run-blocking (35th) in 2025. Adding to that, Jones has plenty of starting experience from his days at Iowa. Sure, college starting experience and NFL starting experience are two very different things, but Jones is better equipped than most rookies to make the leap immediately because of that collegiate experience.”
Jones was the first center off the board and he has a ton of experience after starting 49 college games, all at center. He isn’t the usual rookie, as he will turn 25 during his rookie campaign.
The Vikings were also expected to entertain a rookie center, but decided against selecting one of the top guys. Instead, they acquired seventh-rounder Gavin Gerhardt, who will likely compete for a roster spot, rather than the starting gig.
Bradbury would, in theory, be an option for Minnesota if the Bears indeed shop him and the Vikings aren’t satisfied with Blake Brandel’s move from guard. The veteran started multiple games at center for the Vikings, but is still relatively inexperienced at that spot.
Moraitis thinks a fifth-rounder is possible in a trade for Bradbury’s services. “In and of themselves, starting-caliber offensive linemen are very valuable, but there are also variables like injuries and worse-than-expected offseason showings from projected starters that could have one or more teams willing to give Chicago the fifth-round pick the Bears gave up for Bradbury in the first place.”
Perhaps a good comparison is Minnesota’s 2024 trade for Cam Robinson after Christian Darrisaw’s season-ending knee injury. If someone’s center suffers an injury, Bradbury would be the premier replacement.
Bradbury has never lived up to the first-round bill, but he has been a starting-caliber player in the NFL for seven seasons. He’s always been a fantastic run blocker due to his movement skills, allowing him to reach defenders and angles others can’t. The trade-off, of course, is the lack of size that certainly limits his talent to fend off big-bodied defensive linemen.
The 30-year-old center started in 88 games for the Vikings.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.