FOXBOROUGH — Garrett Bradbury hasn’t been with the Patriots long, but the veteran center is already set for a quick reunion with his old team.
Just months after signing with New England following his release from Minnesota, Bradbury will face the Vikings this weekend in the Patriots’ second preseason matchup.
“Crazy,” he said after Sunday’s training camp practice. “When I first signed here, I found out that we’re gonna be going back there, so it’ll be great to see all the former guys. This business is about relationships, and so being there for six years, whether it’s guys in the equipment room, guys in the weight room, operations, [and] most importantly, the guys in the locker room.”
A first-round pick out of NC State in 2019, Bradbury stepped into a starting role from day one in Minnesota. He started all 88 regular season games he played over six seasons, missing only a handful in 2022 due to a back injury.
The Vikings released him in March, and New England was the team to snatch him up, signing him to a two-year, $9.5 million deal to help anchor an offensive line in transition.
His final season in Minnesota also coincided with quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie year, though the two didn’t get much time to connect.
“It was brief,” Bradbury said of the relationship. “He got hurt early, didn’t take a lot of snaps in training camp with us, and then, unfortunately, was non-weight bearing, so like, wasn’t going to practice, wasn’t going to meetings, and then towards the end of the year, he started coming around more. But he’s got a great vibe, got a great personality. He works hard; he’s got the right attitude. I wish him nothing but the best. He’s a great kid.”
Bradbury also knows what it’s like to go against a Brian Flores defense, having faced the Vikings defensive coordinator’s elite scheme for two seasons before departing. That familiarity, he says, will be an advantage this week.
“Fortunately, because I’ve seen some offenses come in there for joint practice with not a lot of game plan, and it’s an absolute disaster, because you have to game plan it,” Bradbury said of Flores’s defense. “But I think fortunately, [it’s] not just me going against it for a few years. Coach [Josh] McDaniels and Flores know each other very well, and so it’ll be a good battle.
“It’s unique because we’re not going to see that every Sunday all year. But there’s little things, wrinkles with this defense, like, ‘all right, let’s have an answer to this. Let’s go back to our rules.’ So, it’ll be a good test.”
He even overlapped with Stefon Diggs for one season before the receiver was traded to Buffalo in March 2020.
“He’s got one of the most famous plays, if not the most famous in Viking history,” Bradbury said. “So, I loved my time there with him. Already talked to him about going back. He’s been back. He’s played there. Might be a little different… but yeah, he’s awesome.”
While Bradbury remains the frontrunner for the starting center job, competition is still active. Ben Brown, rookie Jared Wilson, and Cole Strange are all in the mix. For now, he’s projected as the Week 1 starter in MassLive’s latest 53-man roster projection — but this week’s reunion game in Minnesota will be another step in solidifying that spot.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
