Wheel of Long Snappers

An unfortunate injury occurred during the Chicago Bears practices ahead of this week’s key rivalry matchup at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.

The Chicago Bears, led by Ben Johnson, were running through a routine special teams play, an extra point, when a pop was heard from long snapper Scott Daly. Daly quickly shrugged it off, football is a physical sport and he had just collided with 300-pound defensive linemen Andrew Billings. However, Daly’s next snap a bit later for a field goal didn’t even cover half of the distance to holder Tyson Bagent, so the play was blown dead for safety as coaches, trainers, and members of the front office approached the situation, concerned for Daly’s health and the key aspect of football they were now lacking. This wasn’t new, the Bears dealt with a long snapper injury recently, so off they went to adjust and improve, like Ben Johnson has been programmed to do.

LS Scott Daly to IR

The official diagnosis from team doctors and specialists alike was a dislocated shoulder after the fat Bear Billings may have gotten away with some leverage. With the rules to protect long snappers, Daly may have been able to roll at less than 100% if it were a less painful and restrictive injury. 

Team doctors considered the long snapper week-to-week, able to get up to 100% with just one week of rehab and some luck. However, private doctors were more convinced it could inhibit his performance and linger, so there was no other logical choice, and Daly was moved to long-term IR for the rest of the season. 

Chicago’s staff didn’t hold back, though, with their future plans. Despite Daly coming in last season on short notice and playing a perfect season, he won’t be re-signed. Despite being a Chicagoland native and lifelong Bears fan, he will have to move on.

Signed LS William Wagner

To replace the 31-year-old Scott Daly, Chicago turned to William Wagner, a 24-year-old rookie out of Michigan who was sitting, learning behind former Bear Patrick Scales on the Cincinnati Bengals. Scales was who Daly replaced in Chicago after Scales injured his back and needed surgery in August of 2024, just before the season began.

He was healthy and capable by early October, but it was too late, just like Daly’s current predicament. A younger, still solid, long snapper by the name of Scott Daly was extended an extra year while Scales was not re-signed after eight consecutive years in Chicago with the Bears.

Tough Sh*t

The league is a brutal business, and this wheel of long snappers that the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals have cycled through makes it evident. It doesn’t matter how long you were good or where your loyalties lie, these football teams are trying to put their best foot forward every week and win.

In conclusion, for fun: William Wagner replaces Scott Daly in Chicago, who replaced Patrick Scales in Chicago, who started over William Wagner in Cincinnati.

* This content was brought to you without the use or assistance of any generative AI