After the Bears cut longtime veterans Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair in a cap space move on Friday, they cut two of the longer-tenured Bears players to remain on the team in the present day.
Then-general manager Ryan Pace selected Whitehair in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. The Bears drafted Jackson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. That marks about seven years and five months, and six years and five months for Whitehair and Jackson's respective tenures with the Bears.
Who is the longest-tenured Bear on the team now?
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It didn't change after cutting Whitehair and Jackson, as long-snapper Patrick Scales has been with the Bears since 2015, before both of the now former Bears veterans. Scales signed with the Bears on Nov. 28, 2015. He's been with the team for a little over eight years and two months.
Scales has played through several eras of Bears football. He has officially played under two general managers (Ryan Pace, Ryan Poles), three head coaches (John Fox, Matt Nagy, Matt Eberflus) and three special teams coordinators (Jeff Rodgers, Chris Tabor, Richard Hightower).
Oh, and he might play with his 15th different quarterback, should the Bears move on from Justin Fields this offseason. He's played with Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, Matt Barkley, Brian Hoyer, Mike Glennon, Mitch Trubisky, Chase Daniel, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, Fields, Trevor Siemian, Nathan Peterman, Tyson Bagent and potentially . . . Caleb Williams? Drake Maye? Jayden Daniels? That's to be seen.
After Scales, who are the longest-tenured players on the Bears?
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All you have to do is go back to the 2020 NFL draft class. In that draft, the Bears selected Cole Kmet (second round), Jaylon Johnson (second round) and Darnell Mooney (fifth round). They are the longest-tenured Bears after Scales, who defeats the field by a landslide.
The Bears extended Kmet last offseason to the tune of a four-year contract worth $50 million. It's widely expected the Bears will use their franchise tag on Johnson, whose rookie contract has expired. And it's also expected the Bears might give Mooney the axe, after a subpar season this past year.