The Chicago Bears have made a $1 million contract adjustment with one of their projected 2026 starters amid growing NFL trade rumors about his availability.
According to Spotrac, Bears veteran center Garrett Bradbury has signed a renegotiated contract with the Bears that “converted $1 million of incentives into guaranteed salary” in a move that reduced his cap hit from $5.7 million to $4.7 million for the 2026 season.
The Bears had originally planned to take on a $5.7 million cap hit in 2026 for Bradbury, whom they had acquired from the New England Patriots for a 2027 fifth-round pick in March after their own Pro Bowl center, Drew Dalman, retired from the NFL at age 27.
It is uncertain what prompted the Bears to sign a renegotiated contract with Bradbury, but there are a few potential explanations. The team may want additional cap space to make its remaining offseason moves, which could include a low-cost free-agent signing.
The Bears might have also converted Bradbury’s incentives into guaranteed salary to prepare for the possibility that second-round rookie Logan Jones may win their starting center job for 2026, an outcome that would have made his incentives harder to earn. A jump from zero guaranteed money to $3.7 million should help keep Bradbury happy.
In any case, the Bears now have an additional $1 million in cap space available for the 2026 season, putting them at about $11.7 million before signing their 2026 draft class.
Trade Rumors Have Swirled About Garrett Bradbury
The Bears didn’t expect they would need to replace Dalman — who signed a three-year, $42 million contract with them last March — heading into the 2026 offseason, but they didn’t waste much time finding a replacement, agreeing to trade for Bradbury just three days after ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news about Dalman’s surprise retirement.
In the aftermath of the 2026 NFL draft, though, trade rumors have begun to swirl about Bradbury and his standing with the Bears in light of Jones’ second-round selection.
The Bears took a big swing in the second round of the draft when they selected Jones with the No. 57 overall pick, making him the first center drafted in this year’s class. The Iowa standout has impressed the team on tape as a run-blocker and pass protector, but his intelligence and “makeup” sold the Bears on him during the pre-draft process.
“The mental is top-notch,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said of Jones on April 25 after the second and third rounds. “We saw all the traits that we’re looking for, whether it’s the run game or in pass-pro, and we brought him in for a top 30 [visit], and I think that’s when it really solidified it for us that, ‘Yeah, he’s got the makeup.'”
With two potential starters on the roster now, though, some have indicated there could be a trade market for Bradbury if the Bears are willing to shop him to needier teams.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando has already floated the Baltimore Ravens — who lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency and tried to target Jones in the draft — as a “logical trade” suitor for Bradbury, should the Bears start taking trade calls about the 30-year-old.
Logan Jones Could Follow Ozzy Trapilo’s Trajectory
The Bears might not have any interest in indulging the trade rumors about Bradbury. He is a proven veteran with 105 starts on his record, most recently in the Super Bowl, who offers them experienced depth. His contract adjustment also does not affect his tradeability, as the Bears could still save every cent of his cap hit by dealing him off.
Even still, it seems quite possible that Bradbury will cede the starting center job to Jones at some point during the 2026 season — assuming he earns it in the first place.
The Bears could be looking to follow a similar developmental trajectory with Jones as they did with second-round offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo in 2025. Trapilo opened his rookie season behind Braxton Jones at left tackle, but the Bears promoted him to full-time left tackle before Week 12’s game once they felt confident he was ready to play.
The Bears could move even faster with Jones, whom Johnson indicated he believes will be able to download information about his offensive system quickly as an NFL rookie. If he does, he could legitimately push Bradbury for the starting job during training camp.
Bears Make $1 Million Move With Veteran Amid Trade Rumors