It remains to be seen if the Bears’ new coaching staff wants to go in a different direction on special teams — long-time punter Pat O’Donnell and long-snapper Patrick Scales are free agents.
The Bears have signed punter Ryan Winslow and long snapper Beau Brinkley, presumably to fill roster voids with both veteran punter Pat O’Donnell and long snapper Patrick Scales headed toward free agency in the offseason.
Winslow, 27, has punted in six games in two NFL seasons — with the Cardinals in 2019 and the Cardinals, Panthers and Washington last season. He averaged 39.1 yards on 16 punts last season. He signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh in 2018. He averaged 48.6 net yards on seven punts in the preseason (36.1 net), but was waived in favor of O’Donnell in the final roster cutdown.
Brinkley, 32, was a long-time long snapper for the Titans (2012-2020) and was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019. He was with the Lions, Cardinals and Chargers last season.
O’Donnell, a sixth-round draft pick by general manager Phil Emery in 2014, has been the Bears punter the last eight seasons — missing one game in 2015. He ranked 14th in the NFL in gross punting average (46.2) and 26th in net punting average (38.5) last season. He’s had four punts blocked in his eight seasons. He signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract last season.
Scales has been with the Bears for six seasons since being signed in Week 13 in 2015.