The Bears needed a long snapper before drills begin next month. Wednesday, officially, they signed one.
The team inked Thomas Gafford, a stalwart for the Chiefs since 2008, to a one-year contract. The 32-year-old has started 105-straight games since signing with Kansas City, recording 19 tackles and a fumble recovery.
The Friendswood, Texas, native played for Dave Toub, the Chiefs’ special teams coordinator who served in the same role with the Bears.
The 6-2, 250-pounder was undrafted out of the University of Houston but spent time with the Packers and Seahawks. He was in Bears camp in 2008, appearing in two preseason games during an audition for Patrick Mannelly’s job.
When Mannelly retired in June after a franchise-record 16 seasons in the NFL, the Bears used veteran Jeremy Cain at the position. It seems likely he won’t return.
