The New England Patriots had some sudden contract news on Tuesday when they reached an extension with offensive lineman Ben Brown. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Brown agreed to a two-year contract with a maximum value of $6.6 million, keeping him with the Patriots through the 2027 season.
A reserve blocker and former undrafted free agent, Brown has made a name for himself with New England. But while his new deal won’t cause any reverberation on the national scale, it may send a shockwave across the Patriots' offensive line.
The most likely candidate is center Garrett Bradbury. While he has revived his career after being released by the Minnesota Vikings last spring, his recent performance suggests that he’s already run its course, and Brown’s signing could be the latest hint that Bradbury’s future in New England may be coming to an end next spring.
Garrett Bradbury Could Suddenly Be Out of the Patriots’ Plans for 2026
Bradbury’s season got off to a promising start, but the same flaws that plagued him in Minnesota have followed him to New England. Bradbury has been known as a player who is solid in the running game but has issues when it comes to protecting the quarterback. While he is on pace to not allow a sack for the first time in his career and hasn’t allowed a pressure over the past two games, according to Pro Football Focus, there have been times when he’s been overpowered by stronger defensive linemen.
Another issue is that Bradbury has declined in the running game. While he tied a career-high with a 70.5 run blocking grade in his final season with the Vikings, it dropped to a career low 57.5 this season and is his lowest mark since posting a 60.7 grade in his rookie season in 2019. Grades don't always reveal the whole story, but that decline is too steep to ignore.
Some of those struggles could be chalked up to learning a new offense, and the success he’s had in pass protection could give him a pass. But he’s also been prone to catastrophic games, such as a six-pressure performance in a Week 10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With Bradbury turning 31 in June, it should have the Patriots thinking about his future. Bradbury signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract in free agency last spring, but the entirety of the $3.8 million fully guaranteed was stuffed into this season, according to OverTheCap. With no guarantees left, the Patriots could move on and save $4.7 million as a pre-June 1 cut next offseason and hand the starting center position to Brown, who has played guard during his NFL career but played center during his collegiate days at Ole Miss.
The Patriots could also keep Brown at guard while moving rookie Jared Wilson over to center. The Georgia product played the majority of his time with the Bulldogs as a center, leaving time to tell if he might be able to find similar success at the NFL level.
Writing Bradbury off may not be fair for a player who has taken great strides to fix his biggest weakness. But with Brown’s extension, it could signal he is no longer part of the Patriots’ plans beyond this season.