Bears waiving special teams starter after drafting replacment

Rather than entertain any notion of a competition, the Bears are waiving incumbent punter Trenton Gill, ESPN.com’s Field Yates passes along. Gill operated as the Bears’ punter for the past two seasons. Two years remain on Gill’s rookie contract.

Among regular punters, Gill’s 46.1-yard average ranked in the bottom quartile last season. The Bears ranked 31st in net punting – which obviously affects more than just Gill’s range – but finished 30th in punts inside the 20 (26.9%). Chicago chose Gill 255th overall out of NC State in the 2022 draft. Gill is due a $985K base salary in 2024; the Bears will incur a minimal dead money hit (less than $40K) via this transaction.

The move clears the way for Taylor, who was on the field often for an Iowa team that struggled offensively in 2023. Averaging 48.2 yards per boot in 2023, Taylor managed this despite punting 93 times. Iowa’s 15.4 points per game ranked 132nd in Division I-FBS. Their punter, meanwhile, broke several FBS single-season and career records and earned All-America acclaim in 2022 (second team) and ’23 (first team).

Entering the draft with only four picks, the Bears brought in Caleb Williams (No. 1 overall) and Rome Odunze (No. 9 overall) before drafting Yale tackle Kiran Amegadjie 75th overall. When the Bears took Taylor at No. 122, they were out of picks. The team later traded a future selection to move into Round 5 for Kansas State edge-rusher Austin Booker. Taylor’s rookie contract will run through 2027; the Bears will be hoping his Windy City tenure lasts longer.

Three teams over the past four years have chosen a punter in Round 4, though between 2007 and 2019, only one – the 2012 Jaguars, who chose Bryan Anger in Round 3 – did so. The Bears decided to follow the recent trend, deeming an upgrade here a priority.