Trent Taylor, cut by Cincinnati, expected to return punts for Chicago Bears
Receiver/returner Trent Taylor, cut Tuesday by the Cincinnati Bengals after two seasons with the team, announced Wednesday via Twitter that he's signing with the Chicago Bears.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Taylor is signing to the Bears' active roster, and the Sun Times' Jason Lieser reported that general manager Ryan Poles confirmed that Taylor will be Chicago's punt returner.
Taylor, who played in 20 regular-season games and all seven playoff games over the past two seasons for the Bengals, thanked Cincinnati in a tweet Wednesday, for "lifelong memories and friendships … made these past two years."
Taylor had eight catches for 103 yards and four carries for 15 yards. But he made a name for himself returning punts.
In 2022, Taylor returned 33 punts for 340 yards, an average of 10.3 per return. In Cincinnati's seven playoff games over two seasons, he returned 11 punts for 115 yards, an average of 10.5 per return.
Rookie Charlie Jones, a fourth-round pick from Purdue, is expected to return punts for the Bengals.
In May 2021, the Bengals signed Taylor to a one-year deal. He was waived in August and re-signed to the practice squad.
Taylor played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He had 79 catches for 731 yards with three touchdowns over three seasons, also returning 49 punts for 471 yards and two kickoffs for 23 yards.
The Bears also announced Wednesday that they claimed defensive end Khalid Kareem, who played last season for the Indianapolis Colts after playing his first two seasons for the Bengals.
The Bengals and Bears are not scheduled to meet during the upcoming NFL season.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trent Taylor, cut by Cincinnati, expected to return punts for Chicago
