When thinking about the Chicago Bears‘ 2024 draft class, most of the discussion begins and ends with quarterback Caleb Williams. Understandably so. Then you have wide receiver Rome Odunze. If there’s enough time left, you might get in some comments about 5th round pick Austin Booker. People almost always forget that, in the middle of that group, general manager Ryan Poles bucked conventional wisdom to take a punter in the 4th round. That was Iowa’s Tory Taylor.
There was no denying the skill. Taylor had become a legitimate weapon for the Hawkeyes during his college career, showcasing an intriguing ability to direct his kicks almost anywhere he wanted. If he brought that same prowess to Chicago, he could give the defense some major advantages with field position. Unfortunately, his first two seasons in the NFL can best be described as average. His punts went for 47.7 yards in 2024 and 47.8 yards in 2025. That ranked 14th and 15th in the league, respectively.
Some were questioning the wisdom of that pick. If the Bears wanted average punting, they could’ve just signed a guy off the street. Don’t look now, but Taylor may have turned a corner without anyone noticing.
Tory Taylor has become a weapon.
The first indication for many happened on opening day in Carolina. While he wasn’t on the field much because of how often the offense was scoring, Taylor did deliver one of the pivotal moments of the game. It was tied 21-21, and the Bears were out to punt. Carolina had a golden opportunity to seize momentum. Then Taylor hit a punt that seemed to veer towards the sideline before suddenly curving back towards the middle of the field. Panthers return Jimmy Horn struggled tracking it and muffed the punt. Chicago recovered and put up a field goal to regain the lead.
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That “banana ball,” as head coach Ben Johnson called it, was something Tory Taylor had been working on all summer. It is among the most difficult types of punts to hit, further showing his remarkable prowess for directing his kicks. However, that wasn’t the only notable development. People seemed to gloss over what Taylor did in the preseason. While tons of players were busy battling for starting spots or roster slots, the punter casually showcased a significant increase in his punt distance.
Taylor had 5 of them go for 60 yards or more.
The Bears are much more dangerous if this is the new Taylor.
One should never turn one’s nose up at the prospect of great field position, especially from the defensive perspective. Last season, opponents started around the 29.8-yard line on Bears punts. That ranked near the middle of the pack. Taylor only had 21 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. That makes it tougher on the defense to get consistent stops. Especially one that has struggled at times. It seems that since the Bears weren’t able to really upgrade that side of the ball in a big way this offseason, they chose to seek other ways to help.
Getting a possible career year from Taylor would be a major boost. Forcing opponents to go 85-90 yards on many drives instead of 65-70 makes a huge difference. Taylor already had the accuracy needed for the job. It was about whether he could find more leg to give it the hang time and distance needed to suffocate opposing returns. That opener in Carolina felt like a real taste of something big on the horizon.
