Chicago Bears training camp news: Rookie punter Tory Taylor ‘growing right before our eyes’

LAKE FOREST – Chicago Bears fans want to see No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams play in a game. Naturally. But there were plenty of fans on social media Thursday who were bummed when rookie punter Tory Taylor wasn’t punting in the preseason opener.

The Bears rested all their starters in a rain-shortened win over the Houston Texans in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday. That included the starting punter.

Taylor, an Australian punter who played college football at Iowa, was a fourth-round draft pick (No. 122 overall) in April. The Bears wound up selecting only five players in the draft, but they made sure to prioritize the punter position.

Taylor was a record-setting punter in college and a cult hero for Hawkeyes fans. In an offseason filled with intriguing additions to the Bears’ roster from general manager Ryan Poles, Taylor has a chance to affect games more than most rookies.

Taylor himself was bummed that he didn’t punt Thursday. Taylor did participate in the game as the holder, but he didn’t punt.

“I love punting,” Taylor said. “I’d do it every day, but that’s not the smartest thing for myself. So at the end of the day that was the coaches’ call, and I’m happy to go with whatever they say. No matter what games I’m playing in, I’ll be ready to go.”

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said that when the team returned to Halas Hall on Saturday for its first practice after the game, Taylor hit about 40 punts and not a single one went into the end zone for a touchback.

“He’s growing right before our eyes, and I just can’t wait to see him play,” Hightower said.

He’s growing right before our eyes and I just can’t wait to see him play.”

—  Richard Hightower, Bears special teams coordinator

With Taylor sidelined, left-footed punter Corliss Waitman punted in the Hall of Fame game. But Taylor will undoubtedly be the starting punter when Week 1 arrives.

Hightower has been impressed with the way that Taylor wants to “own the field” when he’s out there. Taylor said that’s a mentality he learned from his coaches at Iowa. With one of the worst offenses in college football, Iowa had to find ways to win with defense and special teams. Taylor was a serious weapon for the Hawkeyes.

It started with his mentality.

“I’ve only got to go out there for 10, 15 seconds,” Taylor said. “It’s one of those things that people say, ‘Oh, do you ever get nervous to go out there?’ And I do. That’s really one of those things where I’ve only got to focus for 10 seconds at a time, like really, really hone in and focus for 10 seconds. I think really any human on the planet can focus for 10 seconds.”

Injury updates

The Bears starting offensive line is dealing with a number of injuries.

Left guard Teven Jenkins appeared to leave practice early Sunday due to an injury. Right guard Nate Davis returned in a limited capacity after missing a week. He participated in individual drills but did not participate in team drills. Right tackle Darnell Wright, the No. 10 overall draft pick in 2023, is also sidelined with an injury.

With three starters out, the offensive line looked a little different Sunday. Left tackle Braxton Jones and center Ryan Bates were the only usuals in the lineup. Backups Jerome Carvin and Bill Murray played the guard spots, while Matt Pryor played right tackle.

Other players who did not participate in practice Sunday included cornerback Kyler Gordon, safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, running back Ian Wheeler, linebacker Noah Sewell, defensive end Jacob Martin, offensive lineman Theo Benedet, defensive tackle Andrew Billings and defensive end Montez Sweat.

Practice highlights

Saturday’s practice featured the first minor scuffle during training camp. Jones, the left tackle, and defensive end Austin Booker got into a shoving match after one play. It developed into several offensive and defensive linemen pushing and shoving in a scrum. The scuffle ended quickly though.

On the field, the best play of the day from Williams was a touchdown pass to receiver DJ Moore during 7-on-7. Moore’s route took a moment to develop, but then he emerged a step ahead of cornerback Terell Smith. Williams threw the pass perfectly into Williams’ outstretched arms.

The first-team offense struggled in a two-minute drill at the end of practice. The first go around ended with a fumbled snap recovered by the defense. It ended so quickly that head coach Matt Eberflus had the first-team units start the period over. On the second try, the offense stalled out and was forced to punt.

Transactions

The Bears signed long snapper Cameron Lyons and released receiver Peter LeBlanc.