Early in the second quarter of their Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings lined up for a 1st-and-10 from the opposing 47-yard line. After Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold received the snap, he quickly had to take cover and endure a hit by Colts defensive lineman Grover Stewart.
Stewart was able to get to Darnold so fast because he literally ran over Minnesota center Garrett Bradbury immediately after the ball was snapped. Unfortunately, Darnold also fumbled the football when he was hit on the play, and Indianapolis was able to pick it up and return it for a touchdown.
The sequence was just the latest in a long list of evidence for why the Vikings need to move on from Bradbury during the 2025 offseason.
Minnesota Vikings need to release Garrett Bradbury after 2024 season
Back in 2023, Bradbury became a free agent after spending the first four years of his NFL career with Minnesota. Most assumed he would land with another team, especially after the Vikings decided against exercising his fifth-year option during the previous offseason.
But to the surprise of many, Minnesota actually decided to re-sign Bradbury in 2023. And not only did the Vikings re-sign him, but they gave him a three-year contract.
Fast forward to now and there are plenty of reasons why Minnesota shouldn't feel the need to let Bradbury finish the final season of his contract with the team in 2025.
In 2024, he finished with a worse PFF pass-blocking grade than Vikings right guard Ed Ingram, and his PFF offensive grade ranked 24th in the NFL among qualifying centers. This season, Bradbury has allowed more pressures than any other center in the league, he's already been penalized six times, and his pass-blocking efficiency ranks 38th among qualifying NFL centers.
He continues to get dominated by opposing defensive linemen week in and week out, and it's time for Minnesota to stop thinking that he's suddenly going to figure out how to perform at a high level for the first time in his pro career.
With the Vikings expected to roll with J.J. McCarthy as the team's starting quarterback in 2025, the upcoming offseason is the perfect time for the team to part with Bradbury and bring in a new center to develop chemistry with the young signal-caller.
Minnesota was nice enough to give the veteran center a second shot when they re-signed him in 2023. But Bradbury's performance has actually become significantly worse since signing that new contract, and the Vikings need to move on from him before it's too late.