The Chicago Bears knocked out two birds with one stone: they solidified a position battle while adding some support on the defensive side of the ball.
First, the Bears announced the signing of defensive back Beanie Bishop. Chicago has now signed four defensive backs in the last few days after multiple injuries on the team. Bishop has spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, racking up 45 tackles, seven pass deflections, four interceptions, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, one fumble recovery, and a half-sack in 17 games in 2024.
Chicago's corresponding move with Bishop's signing is the release of long snapper Luke Elkin. During training camp, Elkin was in a position battle with Beau Gardner for the starting long snapper job.
Bears got new starting long snapper while adding depth in the secondary
Elkin's release is a surprise, as many thought that since he had been with the Bears, he would win the job. The Bears had Elkin in camp last year, and he was also with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Instead, Chicago is going with the rookie Gardner for the long snapper job for now. Last year, Gardner was a Patrick Mannelly Award winner for the nation's best long snapper and was a first-team All-American at Georgia.
That will at least solve one of the biggest questions of training camp for the Bears. They have their long snapper and can focus on making sure Gardner continues his relationship with Tory Taylor and Cairo Santos.
With Coby Bryant, Cam Lewis, Elijah Hicks, and many more defensive backs down, the Bears had to continue to bring in depth at safety. Bishop is a fascinating prospect and a guy who might be able to come help out.
Lewis was filling in for Bryant, but now it's Skyler Thomas filling in for Lewis. Watch for Xavier Woods, a new signing, to come in and compete for the starting safety job. Bishop had a nice 2024 season, which could give him a chance actually to play and compete as well.
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The Bears are hoping this is the end of defensive back signings and that they can roll with the players on the roster. Any more injuries to this team, and Chicago is going to have bigger problems to deal with than losing key starters.
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