How 3 plays show why Tyler Linderbaum’s record-setting Raiders deal is worth it

Tyler Linderbaum's athleticism allowed the Raiders to score their first touchdown of the season. Ethan Miller / Getty Images

 

By Sam Warren

Sept. 17, 2026 Updated 8:15 am EDT

HENDERSON, Nev. — Klint Kubiak inherited a roster with the NFL’s worst offensive line from a season ago.

The first-time head coach, coming from coordinating one of the league’s top-performing units for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, wanted to ensure the same issues wouldn’t plague his scheme. So the Las Vegas Raiders paid up for center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, giving him a record-setting three-year, $81 million contract to anchor their front five.

“I’m really glad we have him,” Kubiak said during training camp.

In Las Vegas’ season-opening win over the Miami Dolphins, Linderbaum looked like he’ll be worth the investment. He helped keep Kirk Cousins upright; the quarterback wasn’t sacked once. Linderbaum didn’t allow a single pressure in the game, according to TruMedia. He also led the way for running back Ashton Jeanty to post his third career game with 100-plus rushing yards as the Raiders totaled 130 overall.

Yet more can still be done, Linderbaum said.

“I thought we left a lot out there,” Linderbaum said. “I think we can do more. So, proud of Game 1, but we’ve got a bunch more ball games left.”

Kubiak was pleased with his star lineman’s first game.

“He’s a really good athlete,” Kubiak said. “He’s a premier athlete at his position, and then to play center, you’ve got to be the smartest guy on the field. So, he gets everybody on the same page. He plays with great effort, plays with great athleticism.”

Linderbaum’s effort, athleticism and intelligence could have a major impact on Kubiak’s offense going forward. Three plays against the Dolphins exemplify each aspect of the center’s game. Linderbaum and his Raiders teammates detailed those snaps to The Athletic.

Athleticism

As Kubiak said, Linderbaum is one of the most athletic centers in the game, and he showed that on the Raiders’ first touchdown.

Tyler Linderbaum's athleticism already shines for the Raiders

Sam Warren

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/video/ZH3A6O56FGgWMsx/?source=athletic_user_shared_video_copylink&smid=url-share-ta

Linderbaum handled Zeek Biggers after shotgun snapping to Cousins in the red zone, preventing the Miami defensive tackle from penetrating as he rushed to his left. But as Biggers pursued, the center saw Chop Robinson following in from behind. Miami was setting up a stunt for their edge rusher to loop inside for a free shot at Cousins, and Linderbaum was out of position.

In the split second the center had to recognize the move, he found a way to foil it. Linderbaum disengaged from Biggers, dropped his right foot at more than a 180-degree angle and drove off his back leg to block Robinson. He somehow got both hands on the rusher with enough momentum to throw him from Cousins’ throwing lane, allowing the quarterback to thread the ball through traffic to receiver Jack Bech.

“He is a great athlete,” Cousins said of the play. “I think he’s a great example of somebody who plays with a lot of urgency and quickness and twitch and speed. I’m sure it showed on that play and a lot of other ones throughout the game.”

Linderbaum said the Raiders’ protection was a simple three-man rule to Robinson’s side: himself, left guard Spencer Burford and left tackle Kolton Miller blocking the three rushers who were lined up ahead of them. When Robinson looped, he became Linderbaum’s responsibility, with the center having to “bump off” Biggers to Burford.

“And then that’s NFL football for you,” Linderbaum said. “It’s a game of inches, so you try to get a hand on the guy. And what a great play by Kirk and Jack to find the end zone.”

Raiders backup guard Caleb Rogers called the play “incredible” on Linderbaum’s part.

“We want to be able to pick that up a little bit cleaner where he’s not having to rely on his athleticism,” Rogers said. “Awesome to do, awesome to see, but there’s more there for us and our best can be better.”

The Raiders don’t want to be caught in positions of near-sacks, but Linderbaum showed his agility can make up for mistakes.

Effort

Linderbaum made a statement in his first rep as a Raider.

Kubiak called an inside zone run to start Las Vegas’ opening offensive drive. While a zone scheme typically calls on a lineman’s blocking finesse for success, Linderbaum exercised brute force on Miami defensive tackle Jordan Phillips off the snap.

Linderbaum burst from the line and got under Phillips’ shoulder pads. The initial contact toppled the defender, leaving him on his knees as Jeanty rushed into the hole Linderbaum just blew open.

The center wasn’t done with Phillips, however, even after Jeanty was yards downfield. As Phillips tried to get to his feet, Linderbaum re-engaged and found firm hand placement on the defender’s chest plate. Linderbaum then re-accelerated just as Phillips rose, forcing him backward before shoving him to the ground yet again.

Linderbaum said he knew he had an opportunity to assert his presence upon hearing the play call. He did so with a rare double-pancake block.

“First play of the game, we’re running the football, and it’s an opportunity to set the tone early,” Linderbaum said. “That just kind of has to be the mindset of the offensive line, how we wanted to start it. That’s basically what it came down to.”

Rogers said Linderbaum’s block riled him and the rest of the offensive linemen up on the sidelines.

“That’s kind of what we expect from this group,” Rogers said of the play. “That’s kind of the standard that we’re looking to push towards and to hold every single day. Our job every single day is to hold the standard and raise the standard. And he does a great job of helping us do that.”

Linderbaum played with similar effort throughout the rest of the game, driving defenders downfield to give Jeanty and others room to run. With the center setting that standard, the Raiders can count on their offensive line to work tirelessly in the run game.

Intelligence

With Linderbaum in charge of communicating blocking assignments, the Raiders don’t expect many errors. The center has been praised for his command at the line, and that was displayed on a third down midway through the fourth quarter.

The Raiders were backed up in their own territory in danger of a three-and-out with just over nine minutes to play. They were in an obvious position to pass on third-and-6, and Miami geared up to bring pressure with linebacker Jacob Rodriguez showing blitz right over Linderbaum. The center sensed the look was a trap.

Linderbaum called to Jeanty in the backfield that Linderbaum would be blocking down on Dolphins defensive lineman Malik Herring, who was lined up all the way between Burford and Miller. By pointing at Herring, he effectively communicated to Jeanty that Rodriguez was his responsibility.

Vacating a zone with a perceived blitzer head-up and passing duty to a running back is a gutsy call, but Linderbaum was proven correct. After Jeanty made initial contact with Rodriguez, the linebacker looped outside while Robinson replaced him. The Raiders deciphered the moves and stonewalled the rushers, giving Cousins more than enough time to hit tight end Michael Mayer for a first down.

When asked, Linderbaum declined to go into detail on how he diagnosed the rush and why Herring was his responsibility, but said the Raiders’ scheme helped him sort things out.

“That’s just some of our protection rules,” Linderbaum said. “Just trying to do our protection how we’re coached to do.”

While the drive eventually ended in a punt, the conversion allowed a Raiders offense that was struggling some in the second half to bleed three more minutes off the clock.

Linderbaum’s smarts up front give the Raiders an edge at the line of scrimmage. His command can keep the group on the same page, erasing most of the unforced errors that besieged this offensive line a season ago.

Linderbaum showed he can raise the level of the Raiders’ offense in his first game. While impressed, Kubiak emphasized the win was a small sample size. He’s excited about the center’s play so far, but the challenge for Linderbaum is to stay consistent.

“He’s played one game,” Kubiak said. “He’s got to play a whole season, so I’m still expecting more out of him.”

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7602625/2026/09/17/tyler-linderbaum-raiders-debut-film-study

T.J. HOCKENSON TOUCHDOWN!!!

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdPq7Ilj_Im/

Jacoby Brissett Headlines List of 2026 Arizona Cardinals Team Captains

 

The Arizona Cardinals made Jacoby Brissett one of five team captains. Here's what Mike LaFleur had to say.

Donnie Druin | Sep 7, 2026

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals announced their 2026 team captains today.

According to head coach Mike LaFleur, QB Jacoby Brissett, OL Hjalte Froholdt, LS Casey Kreiter, DB Budda Baker and LB Mack Wilson will be captains this season. LaFleur says the vote was held strictly by players in the locker room.

"Whether you're a captain or not a captain, you be who you are within your own personality. However, when you do get voted a captain, obviously that's kind of saying that your teammates, the locker room, looks up to you," LaFleur said.

"I can't think of five better people to look up to in terms of just guys that are going to keep it real with each other, hold people to standards, communicate with me. I don't need to know everything that's going on in locker room, I just need to know the stuff that's pertinent.

"Just because it's just those five doesn't mean that there aren't other guys. I mean, there was quite a few guys that I won't mention that were right up there in the running for it, and those guys are still going to have a voice too. Some of it's going to be through the silent tape, if that makes sense, because that's about as important as anything. Not what you say, but actually what you're doing."

LaFleur also gave an update on Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love — you can find out more about that here.

Kreiter is the lone newcomer to Arizona this offseason to land as a captain while the offense and defense both have two representatives on their respective sides of the ball. All of Baker, Wilson and Froholdt are returning captains from last season.

Brissett steps into the role of both captain and full-time starter in Arizona this season. Despite outside noise and narratives after a lengthy contract battle that was eventually settled early into training camp, the Cardinals have been ultra high on Brissett — both on and off the field.

"That wasn't shocking to me, just in terms of his interaction with not just the offense, but this whole team," LaFleur said of Brissett being voted a captain.

"The more and more I'm around him, the more I get it in terms of the person. Always knew it from afar, but just having that first however long it's been seven weeks or so of being with him, it's been great."

Brissett is all but settled into his seat as Arizona's QB1 to begin the regular season, which begins Sunday when the Cardinals travel to face the Los Angeles Chargers.

Former Iowa, NFL tight end Dallas Clark named to 12-member John Mackey Award Select Committee

 

Former Iowa tight end Dallas Clark (right) visits with '23 Hawkeye signees Ben Kueter (left) and Leighton Jones during Hawkeye spring practice the morning of March 30, 2023 at the program's indoor facility in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkFanatic.com)

 

Breaking News/ Football

Pat Harty  

August 19, 2026

 

By hawkeyesports.com

 

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa football consensus All-American Dallas Clark has been named to the 12-member committee for the John Mackey Award to select college football’s most outstanding tight end.

 

The award’s selection process will be led by a committee whose collective experience spans generations, positions and levels of the game.  The group will include former NFL players, John Mackey Award winners, Super Bowl championships, All-Americans, coaches, executives and broadcasters who remain actively connected to football today.

The 12-person committee will include: Jake Butt, Brian Mitchell, Greg Jones, Jake Marsh, Noah Eagle, Nick O’Leary, Dallas Clark, Aaron Taylor, Jarvis Johnson, Adam Breneman and Owen Daniels.

Clark (2002), O’Leary (Florida State, 2014) and Butt (Michigan, 2016) are former John Mackey Award recipients.

Clark, who lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2000-02, was a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022 after leading Iowa to a Big Ten title and an 11-2 record.  He finished with 1,281 receiving yards at Iowa and was inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

After declaring for the NFL Draft, Clark was a first round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.  He played for the Colts (2003-11), Buccaneers (2012) and Ravens (2013) during his professional career. 

He was a starter for the Colts’ Super Bowl champion team in 2006.

During his professional career, Clark was first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2009.  He also is named to the Colts’ Ring of Honor. He had 505 receptions for 5,665 yards and 53 touchdowns as a professional and he broke several of Mackey’s franchise tight end records in Indianapolis.

Iowa has had two players win the Mackey Award – Clark and T.J. Hockenson in 2018. Sam LaPorta (2022) was a finalist and Tony Moeaki (2009), Allen Reisner (2010) and Noah Fant (2018) were semifinalists. Third-year DJ Vonnahme is on the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List this season.

https://hawkfanatic.com/2026/08/19/former-iowa-nfl-tight-end-dallas-clark-named-to-12-member-john-mackey-award-select-committee/

Tyler Linderbaum Already Becoming Raiders Offensive Centerpiece

 

Throughout the first week of training camp, it has become clear that Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum is a massive figure for the franchise.

 

Jared Feinberg | August 6, 2026

May 28, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum (65) speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

The center position is never considered the most valuable among the five spots along the offensive line. It is always the left or right tackle and is considered the most valuable in positional value discourse online. For the Las Vegas Raiders, having a stout center can make life easier for an offense in a rebuild.

Last fall, the Raiders had the worst offense in football, including the worst offensive line. General manager John Spytek addressed this in the offseason, signing Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum to a record-breaking deal with a $27 million average annual value, the largest for the position in league history.

Building Offensive Line Cohesion Starts with Linderbaum

May 28, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum (65) speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

Linderbaum showed in Baltimore why he is the best center in the sport, showcasing the communication skills that make a great offensive line. He sets the protections, IDs pressure, and is an active communicator up front.

Linderbaum is always a terrific player, with excellent athleticism and power for the position, paired with quality technique and discipline across the board.

Having an elite center is a game-changer for any offensive line, and it is why the Raiders and their hefty salary cap were able to land Linderbaum on such a massive deal. As the team continues to find its way, so does the offensive line with the former Iowa Hawkeye.

Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum (64) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

Offensive line coach Rick Dennison has been around for a long time, once an offensive coordinator for fun offenses in the 2000s and 2010s, including the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. As one of the veteran coaches on staff, Dennison is overseeing how impactful Linderbaum's mere presence is upfront during training camp, as it connects everything.

Raiders Offensive Line Coach Shares Perspective of Linderbaum's Early Impact

• "I think it's all tied with the center. The center ties both sides," Dennison explained. "He's the biggest piece, and we feel obviously really good about Tyler. So, he's done a great job as far as leading them, not just by example, but making calls and getting everybody on the same page."

When you think of good centers in the NFL, think of how well the offensive line performs around them. Outside of touching the ball on almost every play, centers create continuity, connections, and stability that are rarely found on most offensive lines around the league. Linderbaum is allowing the Raiders to emerge from a bottom-of-the-barrel unit to maybe a vastly improved one.

May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum (65) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• "I don't think anybody won't benefit from Tyler. I mean, I think he's done a really good job," Dennison said. "He's athletic, and again, he leads. He does all the drills. But I think everybody on there has worked their tail off, right? I really do. I think they came in with a great attitude. We're going to do the best we can, we're going to improve and get better every day, and you can see him strive for it right there.”

Linderbaum is going to make everyone around him better by just being on the field. That is what separates the great players from the good, and it could change the Raiders' offense for the better. Having a center like Linderbaum for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza eases so much of the pressure on young signal-callers like him.

It would come as no surprise to see Linderbaum earn All-Pro honors this season for what he may do with Las Vegas, and he may become one of the franchise's best signings in years when all is said and done.

https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi/las-vegas-tyler-linderbaum-already-becoming-offensive-centerpiece

From Super Bowl 50 Champion to H-Town Coach: The Impact of James Ferentz

 

B. Keith Crear III

Mon, July 27, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT·

When the Houston Texans brought aboard James Ferentz as their tight ends coach for the 2026 season, it wasn't just another assistant hire, it was a full-circle moment with massive operational upside for Houston's offense.

Ferentz entered the NFL as an undrafted interior lineman with Houston back in 2014, spent time on the practice squad, and then went on a decade-long journey that included two Super Bowl rings—one with the Denver Broncos' iconic Super Bowl 50 squad and another with the New England Patriots.

Now returning to H-Town after spending time on the New York Giants' coaching staff, Ferentz brings a unique blend of trench leverage, Championship pedigree, and offensive line discipline to a tight end room primed to take another step forward.

Earlier this year, coach DeMeco Ryans spoke highly on the reasoning as to why Ferentz was brought on as TE coach. With the 2026 training camp days away, the tight-end room will definitely have laser focused eyes set by fans. Here is how his arrival gives the Texans a distinct strategic edge for the 2026 campaign.

The "Iowa Advantage" and Trench Mechanics

It's impossible to talk about James Ferentz without acknowledging his roots. As the son of legendary Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz, football IQ and physical point-of-attack football are effectively built into his DNA. Iowa has earned a reputation as the premier tight end factory in college football, producing elite balanced talents who can dominate as in-line blockers just as well as they run routes.

While Ferentz played center during his playing days, that interior perspective is precisely what makes his transition to tight end coach so compelling. Modern tight ends are often treated as oversized wide receivers, but the elite offenses in today's NFL rely on tight ends who can seal the edge, handle defensive ends, and execute combo blocks on zone runs. Ferentz, who spent eight NFL seasons surviving as an undersized interior lineman relying entirely on footwork, leverage, and hand placement, understands the mechanics of line play better than traditional skill-position coaches. For starter Dalton Schultz and the rest of the unit, learning blocking nuances from a two-time champion lineman will turn the TE room into a real asset in Bobby Slowik and Nick Caley's run schemes.

Seamless Scheme Translation and Chemistry

Coaching changes can sometimes slow a unit down as players adjust to new terminology, but Ferentz's background makes his integration virtually seamless. Having spent six seasons in New England, Ferentz shares deep scheme familiarity with Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley and run-game coordinator Cole Popovich.

Because Ferentz and Popovich view line leverage and run designs through the exact same lens, the communication between the offensive line and the tight ends will be tighter than ever. That synergy is vital for protecting C.J. Stroud on bootlegs, play-action rollouts, and max-protection packages, where tight ends are frequently asked to chip pass-rushers or handle edge defenders solo.

Championship Standards in the Meeting Room

Winning Super Bowl 50 alongside Peyton Manning in Denver and Super Bowl LIII with Tom Brady in New England means Ferentz knows exactly what elite preparation looks like. He has operated inside two of the most meticulous, high-expectation locker rooms of the past decade. Bringing that level of detail, accountability, and ring-winning standard into DeMeco Ryans' building only strengthens the overall culture.

Ultimately, adding Ferentz isn't just about tweaking route trees, it's about making the tight end room tougher, more technically sound, and completely aligned with the offense's physical identity. If his technique-first approach takes hold early in camp, expect Houston's ground game and play-action passing attack to look much cleaner in 2026.

Chicago Bears rookie outlook: Will Logan Jones become the long-term solution at center?

 

Chicago Bears rookie outlook: Will Logan Jones become the long-term solution at center?

 (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

 

Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune

Wed, July 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT

The Chicago Bears believe they found their center of the future.

They selected Logan Jones out of Iowa with a second-round draft pick in April. Jones probably won't start right away, but he's expected to take over the job eventually.

The franchise has been trying to find a long-term answer at center for years. General manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson believe Jones will be that answer.

Here's what to know about the rookie center before training camp begins.

How did he get here?

The Bears drafted Jones with the 57th pick. There had been much speculation that a center might be on the team's wish list. Veteran Drew Dalman's surprise retirement in March meant the Bears needed to pivot at the position.

They didn't wait long. Jones was the first center selected in this year's draft. While it isn't necessarily considered a premium position in the draft, that showed how high of a priority it was for Poles and Johnson.

Where did he come from?

Jones grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Neb. At Lewis Central High School, he played on the offensive and defensive lines. Jones was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and the top-rated recruit from Iowa in 2020. He chose the Hawkeyes over Iowa State, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Jones began his college career as a defensive tackle and redshirted his freshman year in 2020. When Tyler Linderbaum left for the NFL after the 2021 season, the Hawkeyes needed a new center. Coach Kirk Ferentz converted Jones to center, a position he played some in high school.

"Even during those growing (pains) we had the first year, you knew where it was going to end up one day," Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett said. "You just didn't know which day, but you knew it would be worth it just because of the type of person he is and how he carries himself on a daily basis."

Jones started 51 games over four years as the Hawkeyes center, culminating in an All-America season and the Rimington Trophy as college football's best center in 2025.

Why did the Bears draft him?

The Bears signed Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract in March 2025. He was supposed to be the solution to a center problem that had been nagging the Bears since Olin Kreutz last played for them in 2010.

Even in the four years since Poles took over in 2022, the Bears cycled through a new starting center every year: Sam Mustipher in 2022, Lucas Patrick in 2023, Coleman Shelton in 2024 and Dalman last season.

But Dalman, 27, retired after a Pro Bowl season in 2025. That meant the Bears once again were looking for a center. They traded for veteran Garrett Bradbury, who has one year remaining on his contract, but Poles wanted a long-term solution as well.

Enter Jones.

"Obviously that's been a tough position for us since I've been here, really," Poles said after drafting Jones. "So we had an opportunity to bring Logan in, and (he's a) high-character guy, really smart, fits our scheme."

The Bears hadn't drafted a center since 2018, when they selected James Daniels — also out of Iowa and also with a second-round pick. Daniels wound up playing guard for much of his Bears tenure.

The hope is Jones can develop into a long-term solution who will play in orange and blue for years to come. The Bears are OK with Jones sitting behind Bradbury this season. This draft pick is about the long game.

What his coaches said

The Bears were enamored with Jones after he visited Halas Hall before the draft.

"Football is a priority (for him)," offensive line coach Dan Roushar said. "You can feel that in everything he's done, and that checks all the boxes with our conversations with Kirk (Ferentz), his position coach George (Barnett). He's been fantastic."

Iowa runs a pro-style offense. In Jones, Barnett saw a center who was calm under pressure and could handle protection changes and communicate that with his fellow linemen.

"His ability to communicate and see defenses is really good," Barnett said. "You could probably attribute that some to the fact that he played on that side of the ball. He had a little head start of seeing what defenses are trying to do and certain line calls. Being able to adjust calls in the middle of a look.

"This kid sees the big picture really well, and it's this ability to get everybody on the same page and it goes back to leadership."

Barnett was struck by how Jones was fueled by the success he found after moving to center. Once he had established himself as one of the nation's best centers, Barnett said Jones worked even harder.

"That's kind of the Iowa way," Barnett said. "You don't pat yourself on the back. You just keep working."

What he said

Jones is hard at work learning Johnson's offense. Because the center takes on protection adjustments at the line of scrimmage, the position can be a difficult one to learn for rookies.

"There's a lot that I've got to work on, to get better at," Jones said. "In our offense, they put a lot on the center's plate, which is honestly kind of fun. I like that, to be able to learn, grow and go through all that and just continue to learn the game. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I know I've got a long road ahead of me."

Jones said he studied Johnson's wide-zone running scheme closely when he was at Iowa. The Hawkeyes used similar concepts.

"I think it's the best scheme out there, honestly," Jones said. "Just being able to run the football, be aggressive, fast, physical, it makes it really hard on defenses."

What he needs to prove during training camp

Notably, Johnson said the "ball is in his court" in terms of when Jones will emerge as the starting center. The Bears seem more comfortable with a veteran manning that spot for now as Jones learns the offense.

Roushar sees an opportunity for Jones to learn from Bradbury.

"Garrett's veteranship — there's a lot of experience," Roushar said. "And in that experience he will share things with Logan that maybe accelerate the learning curve."

The Bears will cross-train Jones, as they do with all of their linemen, so that he could play guard if needed. But it might be a little while before fans see Jones starting at center.

At Iowa, Jones was very much a team-first guy. Barnett noted that the approach never changed, even after Jones emerged as one of the nation's best centers.

"When Logan came back his last year, there was never a conversation about NIL or what are you guys going to do for me," Barnett said. "Not one. That's just who he is."

The Bears foresee Jones taking the same approach to his rookie season behind Bradbury.