Chicago Bears training camp is about to become intense with so many position battles ready to take place in 2026.
A lot of eyes will be on the key ones, like CB2 between Tyrique Stevenson and Malik Muhammad, WR3 led by Kalif Raymond, center with Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones, and others. These are all critical decisions that could impact how the team looks for the 2026 campaign.
There's another one that isn't being talked about nearly as much as it should be. It's for a position that may not seem important to the average fan, but it could make-or-break a special teams unit that is already pretty solid.
Bears fans better watch out for who wins the long snapper job in Chicago
It's not often there is a very close battle at long snapper, as once a team finds a good one, they like to stick with them. Chicago is in a unique situation where they have one between Luke Elkin and Beau Gardner.
Elkin was a member of the Bears in training camp last year after going undrafted out of Iowa. He ultimately didn't make the team, landing on the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad back in December before returning to the Bears on a futures contract.
Bears fans should see Elkin as a potential favorite for the job after having a strong college career with the Hawkeyes, earning first-team All-American and second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024. His experience in Chicago, including working with Tory Taylor and Cairo Santos, gives him a leg up.
Don't sleep on Gardner, as he was arguably the best long snapper coming out of the draft this year. He is a two-time first-team All-SEC selection at Georgia in 2024 and 2025. Last season, he added first-team All-American and the Patrick Mannelly Award for being the nation's best long snapper to his already impressive resume.
This is going to be a fierce battle between two young long snappers who were among the best in the nation in college over the last few years. Elkin might have the slight advantage with experience, but Gardner is one that might be hard to pass up with his success over the last two years as a Bulldog.
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Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower is going to have an impossible decision to make, but at least this is a good one for the franchise to have. Regardless of who they pick, they are about to hit the jackpot with two long snappers who are going to play in the NFL for a long time.
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