Bears pick up punter, long snapper
The Bears 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 eligible for free agency.
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 longtime 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 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.
Mark Potash
Rams talk about repeat at parade
Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and the rest of the Rams celebrated their Super Bowl win Wednesday with a victory parade and rally where they told thousands of cheering fans they would try to “run it back” and win again next year.
Fans lined sidewalks along the mile-long parade route as team members passed around the Lombardi Trophy, chugged champagne and waved from open-top double-decker buses.
“It’s a testament to this team and the guys that are standing up here, the work that we put in, that we were able to bring this back to this city that demands nothing less than a world championship,” said game MVP Kupp, who wore a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey.
Responding to chants of “Run it back!” Kupp said he thinks the team can repeat next season.
Coaching news
The Vikings finalized their hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell, the 36-yearold offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Rams. O’Connell replaces Mike Zimmer, fired last month after eight seasons and only two playoff wins.
♦ Zac Taylor, who led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in his third season as coach, was signed to a five-year contract extension, the team announced.
This and that
The Cowboys reportedly paid $2.4 million to four members of the team’s cheerleading squad who accused a team vice president of watching them undress in a locker room in 2015.
♦ The NFL has hired a law firm that includes former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to defend it and its teams in Brian Flores’ race discrimination lawsuit.