Jared Allen won’t be asked to long snap anymore.
Not unless the Minnesota Vikings encounter another emergency.
That’s what happened on Sunday in Atlanta when Cullen Loeffler suffered a fractured bone in his lower back during the team’s loss to the Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Allen filled the role but he was replaced today when the Vikings signed veteran snapper Matt Katula.
Loeffler was placed on injured reserve. He had played in 123 consecutive regular-season games.
Katula, a University of Wisconsin product, has 88 games experience, mostly with the Baltimore Ravens. He snapped for 10 games for the New England Patriots last season and had one poor snap in the preseason opener before he was replaced. He’s been on the street since.
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune