Chicago Bears looking to add center after trade

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 6:33 PM ET

On Friday, the Chicago Bears agreed to a deal with the New England Patriots for center Garrett Bradbury.

In exchange for Bradbury, the Bears will send a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Patriots for a veteran center.

Chicago needed to find a center capable of starting in Week 1 after Drew Dalman made a surprise decision to retire just one season after signing a four-year deal in free agency.

Bradbury, 30, has appeared and started in 105 games during his seven-year NFL career. He most recently had a rough outing in the Patriots’ 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, giving up one sack, five pressures, and six hurries in the loss.

While Bradbury offers the Bears a solution at center, general manager Ryan Poles is looking at more options for the interior offensive line.

The Chicago Bears are looking at centers

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas State offensive lineman Sam Hecht (OL27) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Per Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, the Bears had four representatives at Kansas State’s pro day, including director of player personnel Trey Koziol and offensive line coach Dan Roushar. Chicago is interested in center Sam Hecht.

“They have a lot of interest in a center that offers terrific potential for the future at the position,” Pauline wrote of the Bears. “Hecht tipped the scales at 303 pounds, just as he did at the combine, and sat on his numbers from Indianapolis. He did complete 20 reps on the bench.”

Hecht is projected to be a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Before the Bears signed Dalman, center had been an issue for the team going all the way back to the Justin Fields era.

Chicago hoped Dalman would be a long-term fix, but that might happen via this year’s draft.

It’ll be interesting to see how many centers the Bears scout during pro days. With that being said, it’s a position of focus with over a month to go before the draft.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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