NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.
Next up is long snapper Patrick Scales, who’s been a mainstay on this roster for the last eight years. But will he be back for another season?
2022 review
Scales has been a mainstay with the Bears since signing with them in 2015, and it spoke volumes that GM Ryan Poles opted to re-sign Scales to a one-year deal last offseason. Scales was just one of two players from the former regime to be brought back. In his eight-year career, Scales has appeared in 105 games as a long snapper with the Ravens (2014) and Bears (2015-22). He’s appeared in every game for Chicago dating back to 2018. Scales is coming off another solid year with the Bears, where he was the lone Chicago player to receive a single All-Pro vote for 2022.
Positional need: Low
When you look at the many holes on this roster, special teams doesn’t even register as a concern. They have a solid core in place with kicker Cairo Santos, who’s entering the final year of his deal, and punter Trenton Gill, who’s coming off a solid rookie season. Given Chicago doesn’t have a long snapper under contract, it makes it a need. But the Bears have an experienced veteran in Scales who could be brought back and would help keep the special teams core together for another season. There are far bigger needs to be concerned about this offseason.
The future
Scales has been with the Bears for the last eight years, and he’s been an important part of this special teams unit. The fact that Poles chose to bring him back last offseason says a lot, as Poles mostly cleaned house. You have to believe Poles would like to keep some continuity on special teams with Santos, Gill and Scales. But Chicago could also turn to this draft class for a young long snapper to bring into the fold. Considering the number of needs this Bears team has this offseason, it doesn’t feel like special teams will be on their radar. It would make sense for Scales brought back on another affordable one-year deal, especially given the importance of chemistry with this special teams unit.
2023 free agency profiles
We’re highlighting the Bears’ most notable free agents set to hit the open market in March:
| David Montgomery | Nicholas Morrow | N’Keal Harry |
| DeAndre Houston-Carson | Riley Reiff | Byron Pringle |
| Sam Mustipher | Patrick Scales | Khari Blasingame (3/1) |
| Angelo Blackson (3/2) | Matt Adams (3/3) | Michael Schofield (3/4) |
| Mike Pennel (3/5) | Joe Thomas (3/6) | Armon Watts (3/7) |
| Dane Cruikshank (3/8) | Ryan Griffin (3/9) | Dante Pettis (3/10) |
