The Chicago Bears re-signed fullback Khari Blasingame, long snapper Patrick Scales and offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen to new deals.
According to the Chicago Bears, Blasingame signed a two-year contract extension through 2025, and Scales and Eiselen signed one-year contracts.
In his first season with the Bears in 2022, Blasingame appeared in 16 games (6 starts) and added value blocking for a ground attack that led all teams in rushing with 3,014 yards on the year. They set a new franchise record in doing so, passing the club’s previous mark set in 1984 (2,974 rushing yards).
The last time the Bears led the NFL in rushing yards was the 1986 season when they totaled 2,700 yards on the season. Blasingame also added contributions on special teams, showing versatility across all units while logging 215 special teams snaps and 4.0 tackles. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt University, Blasingame has appeared in 48 NFL games throughout his career, joining the Bears after a three-year stay in Tennessee (2019-21).
Scales will enter his eighth season with Chicago in 2023. Scales joined the Bears in 2015 after spending the 2014 season with the Baltimore Ravens. A nine-year NFL veteran, Scales has played in 105 NFL games throughout his career, including four postseason contests.
A product of Yale University, Eiselen originally signed with the Bears as a UDFA in 2020. The 2023 season will mark Eiselen’s fourth season with the club. In 2022, Eiselen appeared in 11 games for the Bears, helping pave the way for QB Justin Fields to rush for 1,143 yards, a franchise record.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
