The Bears got a useful look at themselves against Cincinnati, and the offensive side of the ball left practice with plenty to feel good about. Chicago stacked three red-zone touchdowns in the first five plays, and the passing game stood out enough to suggest the unit has a chance to be great in 2026.
But the day also brought a nagging question back to the surface: what exactly is going on at center with Garrett Bradbury?
The Bengals’ defensive front put heavy heat on Caleb Williams, and much of that pressure appeared to come from the middle. When that kind of disruption keeps showing up inside, it naturally points the spotlight at the man making the line calls and anchoring the interior.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain broke down that part of the practice and tied it directly to Bradbury’s spot.
"The pressure on Williams often seemed to come from the interior. That’ll happen when Lawrence is on the other side, and we don’t know who didn’t get a block or an assignment.
That’s why it’ll be interesting to see how it all looks for Bradbury, the one new piece of the Bears’ interior offensive line."
Fishbain added that Bradbury’s grip on the job does not appear to be slipping just yet.
"We haven’t seen or heard any indications that Bradbury is at risk of entering a competition with rookie Logan Jones just yet, and a review of the tape may show flaws across the board that led to the Bengals’ success. As the communicator up front, Bradbury has a big role in keeping Williams clean."
Bradbury’s NFL track record helps explain why the conversation is worth having. In 642 pass-blocking snaps as the New England Patriots' starting center, he gave up 20 pressures and four quarterback hits.
Pro Football Focus graded him at 60.1 overall, which ranked 30th out of 40 centers in the league. His pass-blocking grade was 63.1, and his run-blocking grade came in at 56.2.
The Bears traded for Bradbury in the offseason after the stunning retirement of Pro Bowler Drew Dalman, and the move was always viewed as a short-term answer. He was never brought in as a long-term lock at center; the plan was for him to stabilize the position in Year 1 while Jones developed behind him.
That’s part of why the practice reports were a little surprising. Throughout camp, Bradbury had been praised by the coaching staff and teammates, and everything pointed toward a clean runway at center with no real competition.
For now, he still looks like the starter. One rough practice against a strong defensive front should not be enough to change that. Still, it was the kind of outing that can linger, and Bears fans may end up keeping an eye on the middle of the line all season.
There is also the simple reality of preparation. Bradbury may not be getting the kind of reps in camp that truly simulate what he saw against Cincinnati. The Bears’ defensive line, fair as it is, does not have a Dexter Lawrence waiting on the other side.
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