The Chicago Bears have insisted that competition for multiple jobs will be wide open during this training camp. However, as any experienced fan knows, some competitions are judged differently than others. Some are indeed relatively even with multiple players getting serious looks. Others are competitions in names only. That means one player already went into it heavily favored by the coaching staff. Normally, the Bears’ coaching staff wouldn’t let anyone know that until later in camp at the earliest. However, Press Taylor may have let the cat out of the bag.
The new offensive coordinator spoke to Ben Solak of ESPN about the state of the center position as training camp got underway. Many had assumed this would pit veteran Garrett Bradbury against rookie 2nd round pick Logan Jones. However, all signs have indicated Bradbury is the only one getting first-team reps. Taylor could’ve tried to coachspeak his way out of any questions about it. Instead, he delivered a simple statement that was impossible to misinterpret.
I was surprised to learn that second-round rookie Logan Jones has not cracked the first-team rotation at all, with veteran Garrett Bradbury manning the center position uncontested. So it seems clear that the Bears want to start the season with Bradbury, giving him every rep necessary to get up to speed. “It is not easy to play center in our scheme,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. Then he repeats it in case I didn’t get it: “It is not easy to play center in our scheme.”
Press Taylor all but pointed the finger.
The Bears’ plan seems pretty obvious at this point. They traded for Bradbury shortly after Drew Dalman retired this offseason. It was a necessary pivot to prevent too much upheaval on the offensive line. The problem was that Bradbury only had one year left on his contract. Couple that with him being in his 30s, and the team knew they’d have to go hunting for a long-term solution. That is how they landed on Jones in the draft. Both problems have been solved. Bradbury will be the starter this season. He’s experienced and already knows how to communicate well. Learning a new offense quickly is something he knows how to do.
Jones will spend the season learning from him and diving into the playbook, mastering its intricacies. Come 2027, Bradbury will be allowed to hit free agency. Jones will then take over as the permanent starter, having a year to prepare. It’s a good plan. This way, they give Bradbury a chance to continue playing and building his case for whichever team decides to sign him next. Meanwhile, they don’t have to overwhelm the rookie right away by throwing him onto the field too soon.
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Only two things could change this outcome.
Either Jones begins to really play well while Bradbury struggles, or the latter gets injured. The former scenario feels unlikely. Bradbury is too consistent at this stage of his career to suffer long stretches of bad football. This is a case where the rookie will just have to wait his turn. Press Taylor and the Bears have big plans for Jones. Head coach Ben Johnson stated how “smitten” he is with the Iowa product. They wouldn’t have drafted him that high if they didn’t think he could play. This is more a case of not playing the rookie unless given no other choice.
That is how they approached it with Ozzy Trapilo last season. The only reason the 2nd round pick even saw the field was that Braxton Jones couldn’t stay healthy, and Theo Benedet couldn’t pass protect. Otherwise, he never would’ve played before this season. Bradbury is a much more formidable obstacle compared to Jones and Benedet. That is why fans may have to accept a delay to the Jones era at center.
