Chicago Bears sign LS Patrick Skills, FB Khary Blassingame to contract extension

The Bears also on Tuesday offered offensive lineman Dieter Iselin, an exclusive-rights free agent, a one-year contract.

Scales remains the Bears’ longest-serving player, appearing in 103 games over seven seasons.

He was the team’s long snapper for the last five contests in 2015 and all 16 games in 2016 before missing the entire 2017 season due to a torn ACL he suffered in the third preseason game. Scales has since returned to play in all 83 competitions in the past five seasons. He has recorded 14 special teams tackles, including a career-high four stops in each of the past two years.

Dropped out of Utah in 2011, Skills was cut five times by four different teams over three years before finally playing in his first regular season game for the Ravens on December 21, 2014.

Blasingame originally signed with the Bears last year after spending his first three NFL seasons with the Titans. He appeared in 16 games with six starts, and played 174 snaps on offense and 215 on special teams. He was part of an offense that led the NFL in rushing (177.3 yards per game) and also recorded four special teams tackles.

Blasingame entered the NFL with the Vikings in 2019 as an undrafted free agent from Vanderbilt. He spent the first two months of his rookie season on Minnesota’s practice squad before being signed by the Titans. He appeared in 32 games with 13 starts for Tennessee, caught 10 passes for 97 yards, rushed for six yards on three carries, and served as a key blocker for star running back Derrick Henry.

Eiselen originally signed with the Bears in 2020 as an undrafted free agent from Yale. The South African has appeared in 14 matches over the past three seasons, all of them as a reserve: one in 2020, two in 2021 and 11 in 2022.

Tuesday’s roster moves leave the Bears with 20 unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents:

LB Matthew Adams
DT Angelo Blackson
QB Team Boyle
S Dane Cruikshank
Dakota Dozier
T Ryan Griffin
WR N’Keal Harry
SD Andre Houston Carson
LB Elijah Lee
RB David Montgomery
LB Nicholas Morrow
DT Mike Bennell Jr
QB Nathan Peterman
WR Dante Pettis
WR Byron Pringle
J/T Riley Rev
G/T Michael Schofield III
LB Joe Thomas
DT Armon Watts
TE Tryvon Wisco

CB Prion Borders
RB Darrenton Evans
C. Sam Mustifer

Unrestricted free agents—players with at least four seasons due—can sign with other NFL teams without their home clubs receiving any compensation in return.

Restricted free agents—players with three seasons due—can sign an offer sheet with another NFL team, but their home club can match it or receive draft pick compensation if they choose not to.