Bears to acquire center Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 5th-round pick, per report

Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune on Mar 6, 2026

Published in Football

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears are acquiring New England Patriots center Garrett Bradbury for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, according to a report Friday evening.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport first reported the trade, which will fill a vacancy left by the unexpected retirement of Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman. The transaction won’t be official until the new league year begins Wednesday.

Bradbury has played seven seasons in the NFL, the first six with the Minnesota Vikings. Last season with the Patriots, he started all 17 regular-season games as well as a run to the Super Bowl that culminated with a 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Bradbury, 30, is a Charlotte, N.C., native whom the Vikings drafted at No. 18 out of North Carolina State in 2019. Last season with the Patriots, he played 100% of the snaps for the first 15 weeks but rested some snaps during the final two weeks in preparation for the playoffs.

Dalman played every offensive snap for the Bears last season, including two playoff games. The Bears officially placed him on the reserve/retired list Friday.

The 27-year-old Dalman informed the Bears of his decision to retire Tuesday, a source told the Chicago Tribune. His five-year NFL career ended with his first and only season in Chicago last year.