The Chicago Bears have made special teams a focal point over the last couple of days ahead of the start of the new league year. Just one day after re-signing kicker Cairo Santos to a three-year extension, Chicago locked down another special teams player for 2021.
The Bears are signing punter Pat O’Donnell to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
#Bears are bringing back P Pat O’Donnell on a one-year deal, source says. So K Cairo Santos gets done yesterday and O’Donnell today.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 12, 2021
O’Donnell has been with the Bears since 2014, and he’s coming off perhaps his best statistical season. He did a good job pinning opposition inside the 20-yard line, ranking third in the league with 28 punts downed within the 20, and he averaged 45.7 yards per punt, which ranked 20th in the league.
With Santos and O’Donnell secured for 2021, the expectation is that Chicago will re-sign long snapper Patrick Scales to complete the trio. Another key special teams player that’s a free agent is kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson, who has been a two-time All-Pro since his arrival in 2019.
