Bears Get Patrick Scales New One-Year Deal

Long snapper signs on for eighth season in Chicago.

USA Today

Patrick Scales might be among the oldest long snappers in the NFL but the Bears still see efficiency in what he does.

Scales, 35, on Friday received a one-year contract for 2023 at $1.3 million fully guaranteed, according to a report by MLFootball, citing agent Kevin Gold.

Last season Scales at $1.27 million was tied for fifth highest contract among long snappers according to Spotrac.com. Long snappers playing in their 30s is not unique at all. In fact, there are seven older than Scales is.

Scales will be in his ninth Bears season overall in 2023 and eighth as their active long snapper. He was in the NFL in 2014 with Baltimore before playing with the Bears for the first time in 2015.

Patrick Mannelly was the Bears long snapper for 16 seasons and retired after 2013. He was replaced for a season by Jeremy Cain, and then Thomas Gafford signed to do it in 2015 but was waived in late November, when Scales signed on to do it. 

Scales has been Bears long snapper since then except for 2017, when he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in preseason. Andrew DePaola was signed to do it during the season when Scales was away.

Kicker Cairo Santos and punter/holder Trenton Gill were already under contract so all three components of the place-kicking operation are set for the season.

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