Nighttime NFC North Trade Adds Some Spice to ’26 Season
Center Garrett Bradbury is soon to become a Chicago Bear. Odd times in the NFC North.
The word emerged on Friday night. Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network provided the update: “The #Patriots, who signed Garrett Bradbury to a two-year deal last year, have now flipped him to the #Bears for a 2027 fifth-round pick. Bradbury started all 17 games in New England, helping their run to the Super Bowl.”
Garrett Bradbury Back in the NFC North
Close to a year ago, the Vikings tried to trade away Garrett Bradbury. The veteran center would eventually be set free with a cut.
Minnesota had brought Ryan Kelly — now retired — to the Twin Cities to function as the veteran mentor for J.J. McCarthy. Sliding in beside the rugged former Colt was Donovan Jackson (1st Round) and Will Fries (expensive veteran add). The Vikings, at least in theory, were going to have a ferocious front five.
The issue with Bradbury had little to do with potential or being gifted. He is, without any sense of exaggeration, a remarkable athlete (linemen don’t get the credit they often deserve in the athleticism category). Watch him reach block and/or climb to the second level. Seeing him work in the screen game is similarly impressive.
Where Bradbury struggles is with power. Rugged defensive tackles can drive him back, creating quick pressure in the middle of what should be a tidy, comfortable pocket for the passer to step up into. Since he got scooped up in the opening round of the draft, Bradbury left something to be desired even if he has never been a bad player.
He’ll now be snapping the ball to Caleb Williams — a magician in shoulder pads — while Ben Johnson — an endlessly creative tactician — calls the plays.
On the other side of things will be Brian Flores for the Vikings. The DC is known for aggression, leading to the nickname “The Mad Scientist.” Presumably, Coach Flores won’t be shy about sending pressure directly at Bradbury on 3rd and long. Wouldn’t you?
The Vikings don’t have a ton of money. Work is being done to rectify the issue, but the point is going to remain: the 2026 offseason won’t go down as the one where free agent fireworks got set off in the Twin Cities.
Nevertheless, there’s a need for help at off-ball linebacker. Chicago is going to move on from long-and-strong Tremaine Edmunds. Adam Schefter with the word: “Bears are releasing former Pro-Bowl LB Tremaine Edmunds, per sources. Edmunds has been a full-time starter in each of his eight NFL seasons, and he now will become a free agent with 900 tackles on his resume.”
Any chance that the former Bears linebacker becomes a Vikings linebacker? If so, does that Vikings linebacker end up getting sent directly at the former Vikings center who will soon become the Bears center? Stranger things have happened.
The 27-year-old Edmunds stands at 6’4″ and weighs 251 pounds. In other words, he’s built like an edge rusher and has a history of making plays. Minnesota may be very interested.
Last year, the Bears snagged the NFC North. The Vikings, meanwhile, finished in a tie for last in the division, partly due to the modest performance at center with Mr. Kelly working through concussion issues.
Minnesota will need to find a solution as Chicago rallies around Garrett Bradbury.
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