Bears sign veteran long snapper

Posted March 18, 2015 12:45 pm

By Bob LeGere

The Bears signed veteran long snapper Thomas Gafford to a one-year contract Wednesday.

Since making his NFL regular-season debut Nov. 2, 2008, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Gafford has appeared in 105 straight contests for the Kansas Chiefs. The Friendswood, Texas, native has 19 career special teams tackles and a fumble recovery.

Gafford, 32, is expected to replace unrestricted free agent Jeremy Cain, who played in all 16 games as long-snapper after being signed less than week before the 2014 season opener. Cain, an eight-year veteran, was brought in after the training camp/preseason battle among Chad Rempel and Brandon Hartson did not produce a suitable successor to Pat Mannelly, who held the Bears job for 16 seasons.

Gafford entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay in January 2006 out of the University of Houston, and he spent time with the Seattle Seahawks (2007 off-season) and the Bears (2008 preseason, including two preseason contests) before signing with the Chiefs.

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