Gett The Bears are signing long snapper Scott Daly, right, to their practice squad.
The Chicago Bears are shutting down starting long snapper Patrick Scales for at least the first four games of the 2024 season, but they have already found their short-term replacement for him from one of their NFC North rival’s cut piles.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears are signing former Detroit Lions long snapper Scott Daly to their practice squad “with plans to elevate him for Week 1” after they placed Scales on the injured reserve list with a back injury on August 28.
Daly played 42 games for the Lions over the past three seasons after winning the job away from now-retired Don Muhlbach in 2021, but rookie Hogan Hatten unseated him during this year’s training camp competition, leaving Daly looking for a new job.
Interestingly enough, the Bears hosted Daly for a rookie minicamp tryout in 2017 after he went unselected in that year’s NFL draft, but they did not sign him. He is also a native of Downers Grove, Illinois, who attended Downers Grove South High School.
The Bears also re-signed fullback Khari Blasingame to their 53-man roster in a move that corresponded with Scales’ placement on injured reserve. Chicago had released Blasingame during the 53-man roster cutdown, but head coach Matt Eberflus indicated the team did so expecting to bring him back once Scales landed on the injury list.
Patrick Scales’ Return Timeline Depends on Surgery
Daly should provide the Bears with a quality stopgap long snapper for however long it takes Scales to recover; although, Scales’ stint on injured reserve will likely extend past the minimum four-week period. According to The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, Scales “is scheduled to have minor back surgery to correct a disk injury” on August 29.
“The team should have a better idea about a timeline for Scales’ return after surgery, but the hope is it will be on the shorter side — around six weeks,” Biggs wrote.
Scales has been long snapping for the Bears since Week 13 of the 2015 season and has not missed a single game in six consecutive seasons. The 36-year-old is also one of the few remaining holdovers from the previous front-office regime, having signed one-year contract extensions with Ryan Poles’ front office in each of the last three offseasons.
So long as Scales’ upcoming surgery does not sideline him longer than expected, he should naturally retake his place as their primary long snapper once he is healthy again.
Bears Announce 14 Signings to 2024 Practice Squad
The Bears also signed 14 players to their 2024 practice squad on August 28, a group that consisted exclusively of players who spent time with the Bears in training camp.
Preseason standouts, such as wide receiver Collin Johnson and rookie cornerback Reddy Steward, earned spots on the 16-man practice squad roster. The Bears also made a decision about their third-string quarterback, choosing to re-sign rookie Austin Reed instead of veteran Brett Rypien after a contested competition throughout the preseason.
In addition to those three, the Bears also brought back the following players: rookie cornerback Ro Torrence, defensive end Jamree Kromah (rookie), defensive tackles Byron Cowart and Dashaun Mallory (rookie), linebackers Micah Baskerville and Carl Jones Jr., offensive tackles Jake Curhan and Theo Benedet (rookie), safeties Quindell Johnson and Tarvarius Moore and tight end Stephen Carlson.
As of August 28, the Bears have not yet officially announced Daly’s signing. They also did not confirm the signings of either wide receiver Samori Toure or defensive tackle Sam Roberts — their other two reported signings — but it is common for teams to wait a full day to announce the outside free agents they have signed to the practice squad.
The bigger question right now is: How are the Bears planning to fit 17 players on their practice squad?
The answer might be simple. Benedet — who played college football in Canada — is eligible to receive an international exemption if the Bears designate him as their International Player Pathways Program player. An international designation would allow Benedet to practice with the Bears without taking up one of their 16 roster spots, but it would also prohibit the team from elevating him to their game-day rosters.
If they do not designate Benedet, another cut will become necessary.
