The Chicago Bears wasted no time backing off their rookie long-snapper gamble.
On Tuesday, the team announced a batch of roster moves, and the headliner was the return of Scott Daly. To make room, Chicago waived Beau Gardner, the undrafted rookie long snapper the Bears brought in this offseason.
That move comes just two games after the Bears moved on from Daly at the end of his contract last season and tried to move forward with Gardner. Daly had handled the snapping duties for Chicago throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and at 32, he brings back a level of veteran steadiness the team clearly decided it needed.
Gardner entered the year as an easy pressure point for opponents to attack on special teams, simply because a rookie long snapper can be a vulnerable spot. That concern showed up in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, when Cairo Santos’ first field goal nearly got blocked after a high snap that was only saved by a strong catch from punter and holder Tory Taylor.
The Bears’ second field-goal try was blocked, though that one came off a failed block from fellow rookie Sam Roush, not Gardner.
Still, Chicago apparently decided it had seen enough. Daly was the clear choice to take over, and the timing worked out for the Bears because he had not been scooped up elsewhere on an active roster. Since leaving Chicago after the 2025 season, Daly has spent time with the Buccaneers, the Packers, and the Saints.
His familiarity with the Bears and with special teams coordinator Richard Hightower should make the change smooth. There’s no need for Daly to relearn the operation from scratch, which matters for a unit that needs reliability right now.
And with Chicago heading into Week 3 in an uncertain place, that reliability matters even more. Ben Johnson said Caleb Williams is week to week, so the offense may already be facing some limitations. With Daly back in place, the Bears at least know one part of the operation should settle down when special teams takes the field.
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