Bears sign rookie punter Tory Taylor to contract
LAKE FOREST — The Chicago Bears officially inked fourth round pick Tory Taylor to a contract Saturday, according to an announcement from the Bears.
Taylor, the 2023 Ray Guy award winner as college football’s best punter and First-Team All-American, signed a four-year deal with Chicago, who now has an all-international kicker/punter combo with “Brazilian Bear Booter” Cairo Santos and Taylor, who originally hails from Australia.
Last season, Taylor averaged 48.2 yards on 93 punts, placing 32 inside the 20 with seven touchbacks.
“The thought process is to make anyone we’re playing really uncomfortable,” said Bears general manager Ryan Poles back in April after drafting Taylor. “I didn’t play much in the NFL, but I know running on to the field and having the ball spotted inside the 10-yard line is a very uncomfortable feeling — It’s disheartening at times — And I love taking advantage of field position.”
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Taylor appeared in 49 games over the past four seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he averaged 46.3 yards on 295 punts, placing 127 inside the 20 with 32 touchbacks, including an NCAA single-season record 4,479 yards and a 48.2-yard average in 2023.
According to the Bears, Taylor is the first member of their 2024 NFL draft class to sign with the team.
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