Bears Bring Back Long Snapper Scott Daly From Saints Practice Squad

Chicago has signed Scott Daly off New Orleans' practice squad, a move that points to the end of rookie Beau Gardner's run as the team's long snapper.

The Chicago Bears have signed veteran long snapper Scott Daly off the New Orleans Saints' practice squad, adding him to their 53-man roster, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Daly is a familiar face in Chicago. He served as the Bears' long snapper during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, initially stepping in when Patrick Scales was injured and keeping the job the following year. The Downers Grove native, now 32, has moved around in 2026, spending the offseason with the Buccaneers, two weeks on the Packers' practice squad, and a short stint in New Orleans after Zach Wood suffered a calf strain.

The move suggests the Bears are moving on from Beau Gardner, an undrafted rookie who won the Patrick Mannelly Award as the nation's top collegiate long snapper at Georgia last season. Gardner has struggled early, with several high snaps, including on a blocked short field goal by Cairo Santos in Chicago's 9-3 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. No roster decision on Gardner had been announced, though teams typically carry only one long snapper.