Detroit Lions sign Jake McQuaide
On Monday night, during the Detroit Lions‘ annihilation of the Las Vegas Raiders, long-snapper Scott Daly suffered a knee injury. One day later, Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced that Daly’s injury required surgery, and he would miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
“He’s going to need surgery,” Campbell said. “It’s a tough one to lose. I’m glad you brought him up because he’s been—nobody really talks about Daly. And you don’t talk about the long snapper unless something bad happens, and we hadn’t talked about Daly since Mule was gone. […] Daly, just grew from there. He took the challenge and just grew. He’s been a steady rock for us and he’s improved every year. He’s having the best year that we’ve had. So it hurts. It’s going to hurt to lose him. He’s been really good for us. We’ll figure all of that out and we’ll move forward.”
Daly’s Replacement has been found
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have re-signed Jake McQuaide to take over for Daly.
Back in August, Jake McQuaide, who was in a head-to-head battle with Daly for the long snapper job, explained that it was all about competing against a standard.
“They said you got to come here and compete and the reality is — and Scott knows the same thing — is like, whether there’s another guy in there or not, you’re competing against a standard,” McQuaide said in August. “And if you get caught up in the, ‘Oh, he did this today, I did that,’ and same thing for a kicker. It’s not about that. It’s about playing to a standard or above a standard, and then if you do that, you’re going to be playing somewhere, whether it’s here or not, and that’s always been my focus when I’ve had guys come in and compete against me, and that’s my focus when I’m coming in and competing against Scott.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Scott Daly’s Season-Ending Injury: During the Detroit Lions’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders, the team’s long-snapper, Scott Daly, suffered a knee injury that required surgery. Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell announced this unfortunate news, stating that losing Daly was a significant blow to the team.
- Scott Daly’s Contributions: Scott Daly, often unnoticed in the long-snapper role, had been a consistent and reliable player for the Lions. He had shown steady improvement over the years and was having one of his best seasons before the injury.
- Jake McQuaide as Replacement: The Lions have re-signed Jake McQuaide to fill the void left by Scott Daly’s injury. McQuaide had previously been in competition with Daly for the long-snapper position, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a high standard of performance, regardless of competition.
Bottom Line: Next Long Snapper Up
Scott Daly’s season-ending injury is a setback for the Detroit Lions, given his consistent and impressive contributions. However, the signing of Jake McQuaide, who understands the importance of performing to a high standard, provides hope for a smooth transition in the special teams unit. The Lions will need to adapt quickly to this change as they continue their season.
