Chicago Bears bye week: should rookie Logan Jones replace Garrett Bradbury at center?
The 7-2 Bears are on their bye, and one Windy City Gridiron writer wants rookie Logan Jones to take over at center before the Saints come to town.
The Chicago Bears head into their bye at 7-2 and in first place in the NFC North. Even so, the bye has started a debate about the one spot on the offensive line that keeps showing up on film. At Windy City Gridiron, SB Nation's Bears site, writer Mongo Peanut makes the case that the week off is the right time to bench veteran center Garrett Bradbury and start rookie Logan Jones.
The column's argument centers on the 27-24 win over Tampa Bay, when the Buccaneers kept pushing pressure straight up the middle. It points to shaky communication among Bradbury and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and to rushers coming free in front of Caleb Williams. It also says Bradbury lacks the lateral quickness and strength at the point of attack to win consistently as a run blocker or a pass blocker. The writer gives Bradbury credit for stabilizing a line that lost Drew Dalman to an early retirement, but concludes it is "time to bring in the rookie Logan Jones in relief."
Jones was drafted to compete for exactly this job. Bears On SI noted in the summer that the Iowa product was the first center taken in the 2026 draft and called the Jones-Bradbury competition one of camp's most competitive battles. He is the highest-drafted lineman of the Ryan Poles era since Darnell Wright. His only real look so far came in the 31-23 win at Atlanta, where he held up well on several reps but also showed he is still learning. The column also notes that injured running back Kyle Monangai and receiver Luther Burden are expected back after the break. A healthy Monangai and a more physical interior line could get the run game back to where it was early in the season.
This is one writer's opinion, not a team decision. Neither outlet reports that the Bears plan to change their lineup.
What it means for the Saints
Whoever plays center, Chicago comes off the bye on a four-game winning streak. The Bears have beaten Atlanta, New England, Seattle and Tampa Bay since a 31-7 loss at Green Bay. They are averaging about 26.8 points a game and allowing about 20.4. They are 4-1 at Soldier Field, and the only home loss was the 9-3 defensive grind against Minnesota. New Orleans visits on Sunday, November 22, on Fox.
The board shows a clear favorite. The Bears are favored by 9.5 points, and Chicago's moneyline is -545 on Novig. DraftKings has the shortest Bears price anywhere at -470. That gap is wide enough to change the payout: $21.28 profit per $100 at DraftKings versus $18.35 on Novig. On the Saints' side, Novig has New Orleans at +426, almost the same as FanDuel's best price of +430. On the spread, Novig lists the Bears at -115 and DraftKings has the best price at -110. Novig has the Saints +9.5 at even money. The total is 48.5 to 49.5 depending on the venue. Sportsbook hold runs from 4.2% to 5.0% across the markets.
If the Bears are going to try a new center, the timing makes sense. They get two weeks to work on it, followed by a home game they are expected to win comfortably.