The Bear Repairs: A Review of the Punting Unit for the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears season ended on January 5th - but what a way to finish, am I right?

The legal tampering window for free agency will open on March 10th, marking the start of free agency for the 2025 season. That means that at the time of this article, Bears fans have roughly 57 days before anything interesting happens with the team (besides a head coaching hire).

A new segment called The Bear Repairs will be launched to pass the time and prepare for free agency and draft season. Over the next eight weeks, each of the Bears' 29 main position groups will be examined, assessing how that group fared in 2024 and its outlook for 2025. Meanwhile, an ordered list of the Bears' top five needs will be built.

By the end of the eight weeks, I hope to have built a list so credible, so perfectly crafted, and well-researched that Kevin Warren and Ryan Pace will have no choice but to offer me a job to replace Ian Cunningham (same last name even).

To kick off the series, I will start with special teams before moving to defense and ending with the offense.

Let's start the series with an easier one.

Punter - Tory Taylor

2024 Season Review

Let's get the obvious out of the way: assessing punters is not a perfect science. A punter's stats can be the result of numerous factors, not just the quality of the player.

Also, I am no expert in punting.

Moving on.

Entering 2024, expectations were high for Tory Taylor, who the Bears drafted in the fourth round out of The University of Iowa. The Australian was an absolute standout for the Hawkeyes. A three-time All-American and Ray Guy Award winner, Taylor was one of only five punters drafted in the first four rounds since 2010.

How did the 2024 season go for Tory Taylor? In short, okay.

The most remarkable statistic of Taylor's season was the volume of punts he had, punting the second most times in the NFL (82), behind only Corey Bojorquez (89) of the Cleveland Browns. Consequently, Taylor ranked second in punt yards (3911) behind, you guessed it, Bojorquez (4387).

Taylor ranked 15th in yards per punt, 17th in longest punt, 14th in touchback percentage, and 18th in percentage of punts inside the 20.

Taylor did win the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 4, in which he averaged 55.4 yards per punt and pinned the Rams inside their 10-yard line on three separate occasions. Taylor was the first Bears punter to win the award since Brad Maynard in 2007.

However, the 2024 season was disappointing for Taylor, especially considering the high price tag attached to him.

Taylor had more punt yards (3911) than Caleb Williams had passing (3541). Bears fans will remember Taylor texting Williams on draft night, "You're not going to throw too much here."

2025 Season Outlook

Taylor will enter the second season of his rookie contract in 2025. Even with an underwhelming rookie campaign, there is no question Taylor should remain the starting punter heading into 2025.

Granted, the city of Chicago would likely collapse if Ryan Poles drafted another punter in this year's draft.

Look for Taylor to improve his sophomore year.

The Bear Repair List

The Chicago Bears' biggest need is currently the punter. Granted, the punter is the only position we have discussed, but that's the way it is.

Here is the updated list.

Chicago Bears Biggest Roster Needs (2025)

1. Punter
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. N/A
5. N/A