Innovation isn’t something you see much of from punters in the modern NFL. The entire process has been streamlined to a point where everything should be perfect. However, history says there are always new things to try. Teams that are willing to think outside the box are often rewarded for it. It appears the Chicago Bears found such a path forward with punter Tory Taylor. They wondered if they could put his unique ball control to better use than merely hitting precise kicks.
This eventually gave birth to the “banana ball.”
It is a type of punt where Taylor hits it along the side, causing the ball to start in one direction before curving back the other way. This makes it incredibly difficult for opposing returners to track. It has already yielded massive results. Carolina muffed one in the week 1 opener. Now the same thing happened to Atlanta on Sunday. Yet that isn’t the best part. Most assumed that Taylor got the green light to use the banana ball on that play. He did not
Apparently, the Bears’ punter went into business for himself, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
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That’s right. Taylor told me he set out to force three muffed punts, and six games in — after only 17 punts — he has two.
Taylor uncorked a 50-yard punt late in the second quarter, and Falcons rookie Zachariah Branch never got under it and wasn’t close to catching it when it went off his hands at the 10-yard line. Josh Blackwell was right there to recover it.
If it looked just like the muff Taylor forced in the Week 1 road win against the Carolina Panthers, it was.
The banana ball.
“I caught him,” Taylor said. “Honestly I feel like there are a lot of young kids that come into the league and they’re obviously pretty nervous back there. I said, ‘Screw it, I’ll hit one here.’”
Tory Taylor has a fearlessness that is so important.
Remember the context involved here. The Bears’ coaching staff, led by Ben Johnson, is known for being demanding and disciplined. They want things done a certain way. One has to imagine they don’t look kindly on players who freelance. Most players wouldn’t dare try something unless they get permission first. Not Taylor. He operated very much on an “Ask for forgiveness, not permission” when he decided to do that banana ball punt. It’s not like he went in blind. There was a strategy involved.
Tory Taylor knew that Atlanta was taking a risk by putting Zacharia Branch on punt return duties. The wide receiver was a rookie, selected in the 3rd round. He suspected that Branch would not be ready to handle a punt of that nature despite having 44 punt returns in college. Taylor did the same thing in week 1 against Carolina, recognizing that second-year receiver Jimmy Horn had little punt return experience. Both times, the calculation proved correct. Olamide Zaccheaus quickly replaced Branch.
The lesson for future opponents seems clear.
Don’t trot young returners out there. Taylor is like a dingo in the Australian outback. He can smell prey from miles away. If he sees a rookie or someone inexperienced back there, he has no problem gambling on a banana ball. It has already worked twice this season, and there are still 11 games left. His goal in 2026 was to get three of them. At this rate, he could double that number. More than anything, it is nice to see that there are still players out there who are willing not to be robots on the field.
While Taylor respects the coaching staff, he knows his own capabilities better than anyone else. If he thinks there’s an opportunity for a game-changing play, he will take it. Worry about the consequences later. You’ll often find some of the Bears’ most successful teams were filled with players like that. See Jim McMahon. It’s rare for a punter to have that kind of mentality, which makes Taylor all the more unique.
