Bears Suddenly Terminate Contract of 24-Year-Old Rookie

The Chicago Bears waived 24-year-old rookie long snapper Beau Gardner on Tuesday and signed veteran Scott Daly off the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad, reversing course at a specialized position after two shaky weeks, via the NFL transaction wire.

Gardner, an undrafted free agent out of Georgia who won the 2025 Patrick Mannelly Award as college football’s top long snapper, had beaten out Luke Elkin for the job in training camp.

The Bears let Daly, their starter for all 34 regular-season games in 2024 and 2025, leave in free agency and bet on the younger, more athletic option for blocking and coverage. That experiment lasted two games.

High snaps showed up in Week 1 against Carolina and again Sunday against Minnesota. On a 50-yard field goal that Cairo Santos still converted, Gardner’s snap sailed high and was nearly blocked.

Later, trailing 6-3, the Bears tried a 23-yard attempt that would have tied the game. They altered the snap count to protect against a repeat; the unit was not ready. Gardner’s snap was again high, teammates reacted late, and the Vikings blocked the kick.

Head coach Ben Johnson called the operation “not clean” and said the snap “was not good.” The first miss, he added, had been a warning.

Daly, 32, a Downers Grove South High School and Notre Dame product, spent last week on New Orleans’ practice squad after stops with Tampa Bay and Green Bay.

He was elevated and snapped cleanly in the Saints’ Week 2 win. Chicago claimed him Tuesday, reuniting him with Santos and punter Tory Taylor. In corresponding moves the Bears signed cornerback Nick McCloud to the practice squad and released offensive lineman Kyle Hergel.

Long snapping rarely draws headlines until it fails. A single high or mistimed snap can erase points, flip field position, or cost a close game.

Gardner showed promise as a cover man—he recorded a tackle on 11 plays in his debut—but consistency on the snap itself is non-negotiable. The Bears decided two weeks was enough evidence.

Gardner, born Dec. 26, 2001, signed a three-year undrafted deal in May. He is now a free agent and can be claimed or signed elsewhere.

For Chicago, the move is a return to the known quantity before Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and Johnson have signaled they will not wait for a rookie to grow into the job when a veteran who already knows the operation is available.

The long-snapper carousel that began when Daly left in the spring has, for now, come full circle.