If there is anybody who has been as advertised this preseason for the Chicago Bears, it is Tory Taylor. The team turned many heads in the 2024 draft when they took the Iowa punter in the 4th round. GM Ryan Poles felt Taylor was a unique talent who could become a weapon on special teams. His booming, accurate punts could both flip field position and pin opponents deep in their own territory. The fact that coaches from other teams had called to complain about the move was a good sign. Perhaps the funniest moment for Taylor was when he got a text right after getting picked from the Bears’ new quarterback, Caleb Williams.
“Caleb just texted me before saying, ‘Hey, you’re not going to punt too much here,’ which is great. That was pretty funny.”
It didn’t take long for the two to strike up a friendship after that. However, Taylor wasn’t about to let that comment slide. During the Bears’ preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, the offense got off to a slow start. The first three drives ended in punts. Taylor made sure to let Williams hear about it on the sideline.
Credit to Williams for taking the comment in stride. It is another sign of how healthy the culture is in the Bears locker room. Players clearly enjoy each other’s company. There is no divide by position groups or offense, defense, and special teams. Everybody knows everybody. That is a credit to Williams, who has made it his mission to meet everybody in and around the organization. His leadership qualities remain on full display. Tory Taylor himself also deserves credit for not letting his quarterback forget his comments. One must always keep the stars humble. Besides, the punter has outperformed everybody this preseason, averaging 49.2 yards per kick this preseason. Always attack from a position of strength, right?
