Chicago Bears waive punter Trenton Gill after drafting Tory Taylor

After selecting one of college football’s most popular players in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears are clearing room on the roster. They waived punter Trenton Gill on Wednesday to make room for former Iowa star Tory Taylor.

Gill spent the last two seasons in Chicago and totaled more than 3,000 punt yards each year. In 2023, he punted 67 times for 3,088 yards and eight touchbacks. The Bears ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in punt yards, though, checking in at No. 22.

But Ryan Poles saw an opportunity to make a splash on special teams by taking a special player in Taylor, who captivated the nation at Iowa as the Hawkeyes’ offense struggled. He led the nation with 93 punts for 4,479 yards, and his 48.16 yards on average ranked third in the FBS.

The Bears selected Taylor with the No. 122 overall pick in the fourth round of the draft as part of an impressive weekend, even with only five selections. Of course, the headliner of the class was quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, but Chicago also landed star receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick.

As a fourth round pick, Taylor is set to sign a four-year deal valued at $4,780,061 with the Bears, according to Spotrac. It’s an conventional decision to take a punter so early on Day 3, especially considering Chicago didn’t have another pick left at the time. Of course, Poles ended up trading with the Buffalo Bills for a fifth-round pick that turned into intriguing EDGE Austin Booker.

But the selection of Taylor continued to draw mixed reviews, although ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. argued he was a “key pick” when looking at the Bears’ draft class.

“I think, when you look, the key picks are the fourth round, taking Tory Taylor – punter from Iowa,” said Kiper. “We know he’s got a great leg. We know he was a critical entity for Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He can flip field position. That’s a critical thing in the NFL. So I think, when you look at Tory Taylor, he’s going to determine a lot.”

While the top picks of Williams and Odunze will be important to watch, Kiper said the final three selections – Taylor, Booker and offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie – will show just how well Poles and the Bears did last week.

“I think (Taylor and Booker) will determine that,” Kiper said. “Kiran (Amegadjie) is a developmental tackle. They’re set at tackle, he can learn, right. But the fourth and fifth round picks are going to determine the fate of this draft.”