After a Super Bowl run with the New England Patriots, Garrett Bradbury is headed back to the NFC North.
The Chicago Bears are acquiring Bradbury in a trade with the Patriots for a fifth-round pick in 2027, giving them a quick and respectable replacement for the retired Drew Dalman, NFL Networks insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday afternoon. The deal cannot become official until Wednesday of the new league year.
Dalman unexpectedly announced his retirement on Tuesday. Bears general manager Ryan Poles moved quickly to find his replacement, making a trade the same day Dalman was officially placed on the reserve/retired list. Bradbury was a 2019 first-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings and played six years with them before being released and joining the Patriots.
Bradbury, who started all 21 games for New England in their loss in Super Bowl LX, has one season remaining on his current contract at $3.7 million.
With Bradbury gone, it opens the door for Jared Wilson to move from left guard to center, where he played at Georgia.
Chicago, meanwhile, fills a surprising hole with a reliable veteran who has started 105 career games and hasn’t missed one in the past two years.