page_title: Pat O'Donnell
section_title: Professional career
hierarchical_section_title: Pat O'Donnell / Professional career
caption_attribution_description: English: Pat O'Donnell in 2018
context_page_description: Patrick Michael O'Donnell is an American football punter for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Miami.
context_section_description: At the NFL Scouting Combine, O'Donnell recorded 23 repetitions on the bench press, better than 19 running backs, 21 defensive linemen (including number one draft pick Jadeveon Clowney), and all 37 wide receivers invited.
  O'Donnell was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 191st overall pick in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the only punter selected in the draft, and the first punter selected by the Bears since Todd Sauerbrun in 1996. He signed a four-year contract on May 13, 2014.
  In his rookie season in 2014, O'Donnell finished with 71 punts for 3,107 net yards for a 43.8 average. In the 2015 season, he punted 70 times for 3097 yards in 2015, 28 of which landed in the red zone with only four touchbacks. He ended the year with a net punting average of 39.6, the second-highest in team history since the stat began to be recorded in 1966.
  In 2016, he finished with 68 punts for 2,994 net yards for a 44.0 average.
  In Week 5 of the 2017 season against the Minnesota Vikings, he threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Benny Cunningham on a fake. Later in the year, O'Donnell served as kickoff specialist against the San Francisco 49ers while kicker Cairo Santos was nursing a groin injury. O'Donnell finished 2017 with 87 punts for 4,097 net yards for a 47.0 average.
  On March 15, 2018, O'Donnell signed a one-year contract extension with the Bears worth $1.5 million. After his contract expired following the 2018 season, he received a two-year extension on March 18, 2019.
  Early in the 2019 season, O'Donnell served as kickoff specialist for the second time in Week 3 against the Washington Redskins with Eddy Piñeiro treating a knee injury. O'Donnell was also the backup kicker (with backup quarterback Chase Daniel serving as his holder), though Piñeiro kicked through his injury in the game. O'Donnell ended 2019 with a net punting average of 40.7 yards, setting the team record previously held by Adam Podlesh (40.4 in 2011).
  As of 2019's NFL off-season, O'Donnell held at least 2 Bears franchise records, including:
  Most Yards / Punt (career): 44.91
  Most Yards / Punt (season): 46.98 (2017)
caption: O'Donnell in 2018
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