Overview
- The Bears signed cornerback Beanie Bishop on Sunday, Aug. 9, and in a corresponding move waived long snapper Luke Elkin to open a roster spot.
- Waiving Elkin leaves undrafted rookie Beau Gardner as the only long snapper on the roster, effectively giving him the job after the team's training-camp competition.
- Bishop, 26, brings 2024 experience with the Pittsburgh Steelers but is ineligible for the first three regular-season games because of a league suspension for a substance-abuse-policy violation.
- Chicago has rapidly added defensive backs over the past week to replace injured players such as Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis, with coaches framing the signings as evaluation-driven rather than panic.
- The roster change could affect special teams and early-season secondary depth, so the Bears will monitor Gardner's snapping in practice and rely on short-term DB options until suspended players and injured safeties return.