How Tory Taylor Can Boost the Chicago Bears’ Odds This Year
Photo by Maize & Blue Nation on flickr
A year ago, Chicago Bears fans and most football fans in general may have been left scratching their heads when the Windy City team shocked the NFL world by selecting Australian punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft. And to be honest, it was a fair reaction. Not since the San Francisco 49ers picked Mitch Wishnowsky with the 110th pick had a punter been selected so early in the draft.
So what would make the Bears, a team that has only twice made the playoffs (losing the Wild Card game both times) in the previous thirteen years, spend such a valuable draft pick on a player who could have likely been available in the last round or at worst signed as a free agent, especially when other roster holes could have been filled?
Who Is Tory Taylor?
For those unaware of who Taylor is, and you aren’t alone, Tory was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. As a youth, Taylor did what most young Australian kids do: play Australian rules football. While playing at Haileybury (a private school), Taylor was introduced to the Prokick Australia program, where he was then recommended to LeVar Wood, one of the coaches of the Hawkeyes football team. You can look at the odds of the Hawkeyes by looking at the best Iowa sportsbook here.
After Woods flew to Melbourne to recruit Taylor, the punter found himself suiting up for the Hawkeyes during the 2020 season, earning Big Ten Punter of the Year and a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team. Taylor would repeat that feat during his senior season, adding a spot on the All-American team (unanimously) and capturing the Ray Guy Award as the best punter in the country to his resume.
The Hidden Value of Elite Punting
While most casual football fans think that punting in today’s NFL is just trying to launch the ball as far as possible, it’s more about strategically placing it, manipulating field position. Proving he could do just that, thanks to his record-setting NCAA career, Taylor announced his declaration for the 2024 NFL Draft.
During his rookie season, Taylor averaged 47.7 yards per punt, with 34 punts landing inside the 20-yard line. For those who understand the chess-like approach, these numbers helped change the Bears’ season defensively.
For as much as Taylor helped Chicago’s defensive unit, giving coordinator Eric Washington the ability to be more aggressive with his playcalling, the ripple effect impacted the Bears’ offense as quarterback Caleb Williams often found himself with better field position to work with.
Think of it this way: when Taylor pinned an opposing team within their 20-yard line or better, suddenly a three-and-out gave opportunity for a momentum swing, rather than just as a change of possession. Now facing an 80+ yard drive, teams would play more conservatively, in theory giving the Bears more favorable field placement offensively.
A Game Changer
Nobody is going to confuse Tory Taylor with Patrick Mahomes or Myles Garrett when it comes to obvious game-changers. But successful teams, playoff teams, and championship teams are built on numerous foundational pieces, including specialists who are great at their jobs and create advantages that most people don’t think about.
Taylor will give new Bears head coach Ben Johnson a strategic flexibility that the team hasn’t had in a long time. Chicago can now be more aggressive on third-down decisions around midfield, knowing that if the gamble fails, Taylor can likely minimize the damage by pinning the opposition deep in their end of the field.
Boosting the 2025 Odds
So, how exactly does Taylor better the Bears’ odds this season? It comes down to math. In 2024, Chicago went 3-7 in one-score games, losing seven games by seven points or fewer. With Taylor’s ability to consistently flip field position, several of those narrow losses could easily have become victories.
In Johnson’s previous role as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, the team thrived on explosive plays and short fields, a strategy that plays perfectly into what Taylor provides.
If Johnson can build off his successful rookie season, one that featured a game-changing 66-yard punt against the Los Angeles Rams, a punt that flipped field position and placed the visiting team deep in their end, helping the Bears capture one of the biggest wins of their season, the Bears could find themselves improving on a 5-12 record.
As the young Bears continue to build and rebuild, Taylor gives the team positional consistency and elite production every single game. In the competitive NFC North, where the Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings all have playoff aspirations, any gains in field position and opportunities to close out winnable games will be the difference between contending for a postseason berth and another season watching the playoffs from home.
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