Dan Bernstein Unfiltered - March 9, 2026

Episode: Chicago Bears Find Their Center in Garrett Bradbury | TRADE 2027 5th round pick

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan Bernstein and his co-host dive into the Chicago Bears’ latest move at center—trading a 2027 fifth-round pick for veteran Garrett Bradbury. They break down what it means for the Bears’ offensive line, discuss the process and rationale behind trusting the new staff, and weigh the fallout of missing out on bigger names like Tyler Linderbaum. The show also ranges widely: they analyze potential pass-rush acquisitions, critique the Bulls’ muddled tanking strategy, react to viral broadcaster moments, riff on NCAA tournament dramas, and close with some classic “life stuff” banter in their unfiltered, Chicago-style tone.

Bears Center Signing: Garrett Bradbury

Initial Reaction and Context

• Dan Bernstein admits to being underwhelmed:
  “I got so excited about the possibility of the Bears signing Tyler Linderbaum that you get all worked up... and then it's like the Bears make a move for a center, and it's Garrett Bradbury. Okay. Okay. I mean, I'm sure it's fine. I'm sure it's fine is kind of where I am. It's probably. It's probably fine. Are we sure? It's fine. It's probably fine.” (01:27)
• The co-host pushes back, stressing trust in the Bears’ regime and staff:

  “You can't say one day that you fully trust Ben Johnson and his staff... Even if it's something that doesn't exactly pump my nads, I can feel like they know what they're doing, they've earned the benefit of the doubt.” (03:08, Bernstein)

Why Bradbury? Fit, Trust, and Logic

• The hosts emphasize Bradbury’s durability and experience:

  “Are you answering the bill? Are you there? Can you be relied on? And if the answer is yes, that's a big deal.” (03:39, Bernstein)

• Familiarity with fellow linemen (Joe Thuney, NC State) is touted as a plus.
• The Bears’ staff, especially Ben Johnson and Dan Roushar, have earned fan trust after last year's O-line results.
• Reference to Jonah Jackson’s turnaround under Bears coaching:

  “The fact that Jonah Jackson performed the way he did with a lot of people wondering... That, to me, is the example that it may engender a little bit more of that trust here.” (04:17)

Financial Context and Strategic Flexibility

• Bears now have “just under $27 million left to play with.”
• The so-called “legal tampering period” and its absurdities are poked fun at with repeated jokes about “tampling” (05:48–06:09).

Setting Expectations

• The consensus: Bradbury isn’t a splash, but fills a veteran need, fits the run scheme, and gave up zero sacks last year (07:43–08:53).
• “Would it have been great to have Tyler Linderbaum? Yeah... But if you get a guy that can play for you every game and still run your offense effectively and score a lot of points and you do it for less money, that's the—that's the best case.” (Co-host, 08:08)

Offseason Dominoes: The Pass Rush Market

What’s Next After Bradbury?

• No move happens in a vacuum—other roster dominoes could drop.
• The Bears may now pivot to newfound cap flexibility.

Big Names and Reasonable Fits

• Discussion of Trey Hendrickson, Khalil Mack, and more.
  • “There are other names out there for pass rusher after Trey Hendrickson. And there’s one that excites me a little bit more than others. And maybe I’m crazy, but...” (10:31)
• AJ Epenesa (Bills) is singled out as an interesting, “high-motor” cultural fit:

  “Not a spectacular athlete, but certainly at minimum a rotational contributor who's capable of big plays at big times.” (12:30)

The Age and Injury Factor

• The risk/reward spectrum of veteran pass rushers (31+), with skepticism about Hendrickson and especially Joey Bosa.
• “It just seems like a big expenditure for somebody I don't know that I can trust is going to be available.” (15:39, Bernstein)
• The hosts would rather, ideally, sign someone like Mack for a year and draft additional rotation.

Bulls Tanking: What Are They Doing?

Confusion Over Strategy

• Bernstein expresses frustration at the Bulls’ jumbled tanking:

  “I have no idea what the Bulls are trying to accomplish right now... The whole point of this was to start losing, to increase your opportunity to get one of the top three picks this year. And they're not even doing that right.” (18:13–19:21)

Roster Management Critique

• Players like Colin Sexton are discussed—tactical subs and possible “soft tanking” as he leaves games with injuries at suspicious times.

  “He had seven threes when they took him out... I thought, haha, they're finally doing it.” (20:28, Bernstein)

• Frustration with the playing time of young/developmental players versus established but flawed veterans.

Notable Quotes

• “I want to play losing basketball players right now because I want them losing. Losing makes them more likely to get the really good players that help you win a championship later.” (24:10, Bernstein)
• “It's like high end rec ball.” (21:39, Co-host)

Basketball Broadcasting: Stan Van Gundy & Dick Vitale Moments

Stan Van Gundy Calls Out Ref on Air

• SVG accuses NBA referee Ed Malloy of making a call “personal” and deliberately wrong:

  “That was clearly off Laravia... Ed Malloy is in a little bit of a battle with Nikola Jokic right now. I hate to say it, but it's become personal for Ed Malloy. That was an obvious call. There's no way Ed Malloy missed that call.” (29:58)

• Bernstein reacts:
  “You can't say that without proof. You can't say that without some sort of journalistic work or showing your work or documentation or, you know, evidence. To say that about a referee is, frankly, it's—it's libelous.” (30:56)

Dick Vitale Unfiltered

• Dickie V eviscerates Kentucky’s Mark Pope during a broadcast:

  “I'm going to say this right here. Win or lose, I've done several Kentucky games now, win or lose, 22 million, this team, the reports are in terms of the nil for their players. I think with 22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.” (36:11, Vitale, quoted by Bernstein)

• Bernstein on Vitale’s new edge:

  “That is a man who has no fucks left to give.” (37:37)

NCAA Tournament and College Hoops Chatter

• Shout-out to conference tournament clinchers (Northern Iowa over UIC).
• Bernstein reminisces about calling a DePaul NCAA game, while the co-host mentions local sports radio folks doing UIC games. (61:03+)

Lighter Segments & Banter

Relatable Laziness: Pasta Salad Edition

• A lengthy and humorous exchange about pasta salad prep, leftovers, and laziness:

  “Instead of walking around the kitchen island to go get a second container to put it away, I just decided to eat it because I didn't want to walk around to get a container, and I wasn't hungry, and I just had ice cream.” (54:10, Co-host)

• Discussion on re-using pasta water (based on the book "Heat"), alternative pesto recipes, and the finer points of jarred pesto.

Shopping Local and Listener Influence

• Bernstein describes being shamed into buying “Project Hail Mary” after listeners sent him feedback about his complaints on the movie trailer. (48:00–50:43)

Miscellaneous Personal Stories

• Tales of campaigners at polling places, door-to-door politicians, and what happens when both hosts’ wives are out of town.

Notable Quotes and Humorous Moments

• “There's always a big matchup on the schedule, and we got our DBU picks coming up a little bit later. I don't even want to know how you did over the weekend. You're probably just—just raking it in.” (16:06, Bernstein)
• “There’s a rule, by the way, if you watch Precious Achiuwa play every time you hear his name, you must [say in Gollum voice] ‘Precious! Don’t hurt my dog...’” (20:32, Bernstein)
• “That is a man who has no fucks left to give.” (37:37, Bernstein on Dick Vitale)
• “If I had basketball taken away from me, I'm not going to have it taken away without me kicking everybody in the nuts before.” (46:00, Bernstein, mocking a player’s logic)

Timestamps for Key Sections

• 02:49 — Initial reactions to Bradbury, trust in the coaching staff
• 04:17 — Discussing OL continuity, veteran fit
• 07:43 — “Zero sacks last year”, value of Bradbury
• 09:54 — Possible OL backup plans (Luke Newman), developmental approach
• 10:31 — Pass rush options: Hendrickson, Mack, Epenesa
• 15:39 — Risk and value of signing older pass rushers
• 18:13 — Bulls tanking strategy examined and critiqued
• 20:28–22:23 — Player rotations, Colin Sexton, and subtle tanking
• 29:58 — Stan Van Gundy’s controversial on-air accusation
• 36:11 — Dick Vitale rants about Kentucky, NIL, and high expectations
• 54:10 — Pasta salad/laziness anecdote
• 61:03 — Small conference March Madness talk

DBU Picks of the Day (Betting Segment)

• Co-host’s picks:

  • Cavs -12.5 v. 76ers
  • Memphis -1.5 at Nets
  • Knicks -2.5 at Clippers
  • Nuggets +6.5 at OKC

• Bernstein’s player props:

  • Jalen Williams 11+ points (Thunder)
  • Chet Holmgren 2+ three-pointers (but note: check for illness, as Holmgren is questionable)

(62:18–63:50)

Conclusion

An episode that perfectly blends Bears nitty-gritty analysis, sharp Bulls criticism, unfiltered sports media takes, and the everyday life and food talk that makes Dan Bernstein Unfiltered sing. For hardcore Chicago sports fans and anyone who wants their sports discussion lively, honest, and just a little bit irreverent, this is a must-catch.