Bears HC Matt Eberflus Reveals Who Starting C Will Be

The Chicago Bears added two new centers this offseason. General manager Ryan Poles first acquired Ryan Bates in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, and later signed Coleman Shelton following his release from the Los Angeles Rams. Many expected Shelton to possess the upper hand over Bates in a head-to-head competition given his experience with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Head coach Matt Eberflus seemingly told Courtney Cronin that Bates will be the starting center in 2024.

Matt Eberflus said solidifying the center position was a “critical piece” for the development of a rookie QB that the Bears were able to address when trading for Ryan Bates. “Very important for a young quarterback to have that center experience. To be able to call and make…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 26, 2024

It qualifies as a minor surprise given that Bates doesn’t possess high-level experience at center. He earned 26 snaps at the position as a third-year blocker in 2021. Bates then served as the Bills” primary right guard starter in 2022, playing a career-high 945 snaps. Bates is significantly more experienced at guard than center.

Shelton was coached by Waldron for two seasons (2019-20) in Los Angeles. The initial belief was that Shelton’s familiarity with the offense, paired with his experience as a starting center, would be decisive. Shelton played 1,113 snaps at center for the Rams this past season. He was a particularly performer as a run blocker, earning a grade of 72.6 from Pro Football Focus.

Most importantly, Eberflus believes the Bears have acquired two centers that will support quarterback Caleb Williams. Bates and Shelton represent massive upgrades over Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair, who the Bears parted ways with this offseason. Poles and Eberflus are doing what they can to support Williams.