Kicker Matt Prater, for whom Brewer snapped on Prater’s then-NFL record 64-yard field goal in Denver a decade ago, is Brewer’s best friend.
But there are always other factors, and Shimko could be a guy who is at the outset of one of those long careers. When he won the Patrick Manley award for top long snapper, it crystallized the idea he could have a chance to play somewhere in the NFL.
Shimko said he’s never had a bad snap, although for the job, “it’s expected.”
“I get to keep playing football, but for me, something that I can chase perfection at, that helps me even in life,” Shimko said.
Unlike every other position on the roster, there is no long snapper backup. One or you’re done, and both men know this. Brewer, coming off an injury last season, also had competition with Matt Hembrough, although Hembrough hurt his back in camp and never made a return.
“(Aaron) is a great guy,” Shimko said. “I figured he might have a little attitude toward me, but I’d expect that. I wouldn’t blame him if he had it. But he doesn’t at all. He’s a great teammate to have and an asset to me.”
All snappers can snap by the time they get to the NFL, Rodgers said. It’s their ability to protect that tilts the decisions. Some long snappers don’t have to protect at all in college, although Shimko played in a system in which he did – helping his cause.
Both men know the stakes. Brewer just knows that while he didn’t come to the Cardinals in 2016 in the best of circumstances, “I think I made the most of it.”
“I’m glad I landed here and got to play as long as I have,” Brewer said, “and I’ll play as long as they want me here.”
