Overview
- The Chicago Bears signed veteran long snapper Scott Daly off the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad on Tuesday and added him to their 53-man roster to replace rookie Beau Gardner.
- Beau Gardner struggled in his first two NFL games, including a high snap that contributed to a blocked, game-tying field goal, and head coach Ben Johnson publicly criticized the operation as not clean.
- NFL rules let any team sign a practice‑squad player only by placing him on its active roster, a mechanism the Bears used that now forces the Saints to find a quick replacement at long snapper.
- Daly is a familiar option for Chicago after snapping for the Bears in 2024–25 and has moved between multiple teams this year, making him a short-term, experienced fix for a high‑precision role.
- The signing comes as the Bears face added roster strain with Tyson Bagent in concussion protocol and Caleb Williams likely sidelined by a hamstring issue, increasing pressure to keep special teams and quarterback depth reliable.