Patriots eyeing veteran center who’s expected to be released
The Patriots have a pressing need at center, and they created it themselves after releasing David Andrews last week.
A new report suggests that they have a plan in mind to immediately replace Andrews with another veteran. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, “it wouldn’t be a surprise” if the Patriots signed center Garrett Bradbury, should he become a free agent. Bradbury is currently under contract with the Vikings, as of this writing on Monday morning, but Reiss and Adam Schefter expect him to be released if Minnesota can’t find a trade partner for him. (UPDATE: The Vikings have indeed released Bradbury, making him a free agent.)
Bradbury, 29, started all 17 games and played 100% of snaps for the Vikings in 2024. He earned a 70.5 run blocking grade at Pro Football Focus, but only a 50.5 for pass-blocking, as he allowed a career-worst 38 total pressures. The Vikings recently signed former Colts center Ryan Kelly, ostensibly as a replacement for Bradbury.
Considering the Patriots’ situation, a diminished version of Bradbury could still be a plug-and-play candidate as a veteran stopgap center, as the team likely looks toward the draft to identify a long-term answer at the position. Bradbury is on the books for a $4.9 million base salary and a cap hit just over $6 million (via Spotrac), so he’d come in under those numbers as a free agent.
If the Patriots don’t land on Bradbury as a new option, here are four other centers to know about on the open market.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
