The Chicago Bears have signed veteran long snapper Scott Daly from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad, [Brad Biggs of the _Chicago Tribune_ reported](https://x.com/BradBiggs/status/2102477517160648944?s=20) on Tuesday. By signing Daly onto their 53-man roster, the Bears have effectively signaled they’ll be moving on from current long snapper Beau Gardner, whom the team signed as an undrafted rookie this offseason.
Bears fans will certainly remember Daly, as he was the team’s long snapper in both 2024 and 2025. He was initially brought in to replace the injured Patrick Scales, and the decision was eventually made for him to remain the team’s long snapper in 2025. Though the Bears didn’t extend him this offseason, it appears they’ve decided to go back to the stability that Daly provided.
Daly, a 32-year-old Downers Grove native, served as the Saints’ starting long snapper in Week 2 after incumbent starter Zach Wood suffered a calf strain. He’s been on three teams in 2026 alone, spending the offseason with the Buccaneers, serving a two-week stint on the Packers’ practice squad, and spending just a few days with New Orleans. The Saints signed him to their practice squad on Sept. 18.
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the Bears would make a move at long snapper, as Gardner has been shaky to start the year. He’s been high on a few snaps, and Cairo Santos had a chip-shot field goal blocked in Chicago’s 9-3 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. The Bears rank just No. 27 in the NFL with a [68.8 kicking score by Pro Football Network’s metrics](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-hq/rankings/special-teams) heading into Week 3.
Gardner was the Patrick Mannelly Award winner as the best collegiate long snapper out of Georgia last year, but he’ll likely have to wait for his next chance to see NFL action. As of this writing, no move has been made regarding his roster status, but teams typically only keep one long snapper on the roster.