Garrett Bradbury’s first game in a Bears uniform didn’t exactly buy him much breathing room.
Chicago brought in the veteran center to stabilize a rebuilt offensive line, and on paper he fit the bill as a reliable, ready-made option. But the Bears also sent a pretty clear message when they used a second-round pick on Iowa center Logan Jones in the 2026 NFL Draft. That selection raised eyebrows at the time because Jones was expected to go later, but Ryan Poles and the Bears clearly liked what they saw.
After Week 1, the depth chart in the middle suddenly looks a little less settled.
Bradbury was one of the few weak spots in Chicago’s 59-point outburst, and the performance didn’t do much to quiet the idea that Jones could be part of the plan sooner rather than later. Pro Football Focus gave Bradbury a 49.9 grade, the lowest on the offense.
That kind of number should always be viewed carefully, but the film wasn’t much kinder. He also took a costly holding penalty that erased a 10-yard run by D’Andre Swift, the kind of mental lapse Ben Johnson is unlikely to shrug off from a veteran.
That’s where Jones starts to loom.
Johnson has already made his opinion of the rookie pretty clear. He praised Jones’ mental makeup, his football IQ, and the way he handled everything the Bears threw at him during the draft process. Jones also closed his college career with 17 straight games without a penalty.
“The mental is top notch. We saw all the traits we’re looking for, whether it’s the run game or pass pro.
And we brought him in for a Top 30 and I think that’s when it really solidified it for us that, yeah, he has the makeup,” Johnson said (h/t Courtney Cronin)." And then just the next level as far as football IQ as well.
I think none of us have any qualms that he’ll be able to download the information. And once again, that’s just another spot where we’ll have high level competition."
It’s still the early part of the season, and rookie centers usually aren’t rushed into action before they’re ready. The Bears were patient with their first-year players in Johnson’s first year, though he did start getting them on the field late in the season once they had shown they could handle it.
So no, Bradbury isn’t getting benched off one game. But the leash is clearly shorter than it looked a week ago. The Bears didn’t spend a second-round pick on Logan Jones to let him sit forever, and if Bradbury keeps flashing the same mistakes, his run as the stopgap in the middle may not last long.
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