Bears LS Patrick Scales to undergo back surgery, headed to IR

Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Scales is scheduled to have minor back surgery to fix a disc issue on Thursday, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs.

Scales suffered a back injury in the Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 1. Earlier this month, coach Matt Eberflus said Scales was dealing with a soft tissue injury in his back, which caused him to miss the rest of the preseason.

The Bears are expected to place Scales on injured reserve/designated to return on Wednesday. He would be required to miss the first four games of the 2024 season. That would make him eligible to return as soon as Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 6.

Scales, who's been with the Bears since 2015, hasn't missed a regular-season game since 2017 after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason. With Scales expected to miss the first month, Chicago needs to find his replacement.

After waiving Cameron Lyons on Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Bears are signing local product and former Detroit Lions long snapper Scott Daly to the practice squad, where the expectation is he'll be elevated to the active roster for Week 1.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears LS Patrick Scales to undergo back surgery, headed to IR