The Chicago Bears ended their 2024 draft in unexpected fashion, taking Iowa’s Tory Taylor, the consensus best punter on the board. It’s hard to blame them for the move. Trenton Gill was not good last year, and they need help at that position. Many view Taylor as one of the best prospects to come out of college in recent years. With a defense that isn’t quite elite, it makes sense to give them help with a punter who can win them field position. One person who wasn’t impressed with the pick was Caleb Williams.
That is not to say he was angry about it. It was more that quarterbacks often have a natural allergy to punters in general. It might explain why the Bears’ #1 overall pick, in sending a congratulatory text to Taylor after the pick was announced, couldn’t resist slipping in a jab.
“Hey, you’re not going to punt much here.”
That is a clear promise that the Bears will score a lot more points under his watch, opting less for punts and more for touchdowns and field goals. Williams has no plans to give Taylor regular work like at Iowa.
He doesn’t care what the history has been at quarterback in this town. Things are going to change under his watch. The Bears won’t be just about running the ball and good defenses anymore. They will score points, win games, and go after championships. It is his destiny, something he’s worked towards since he was ten years old. He has no intention of letting some punter steal the spotlight from him.
All jokes aside, it’s nice to see Caleb Williams embracing the leadership role right out of the gate. Taylor probably got a great chuckle out of that exchange. In truth, his arrival will be a huge help to the organization. Winning field position is vital in the NFL. Having a good punter always makes a quarterback’s life easier. Those two have a chance to be teammates for a long time. No doubt the jawing will become a regular occurrence as their NFL journeys begin.
