Bear Digest

Caleb Williams wasn’t the only Chicago Bears rookie to set team records in 2024

Caleb Williams was the star of the Chicago Bears' 2024 rookie class, but another first-year player blasted into the team's record book in Year 1.

Bryan Perez

David Banks-Imagn Images
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All of the attention on the Chicago Bears rookie class was justifiably on quarterback Caleb Williams, who, for the most part, delivered a successful season in 2024. 

Williams finished 2024 with 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns (just six interceptions), and 489 rushing yards. He set the Bears’ team record for the longest streak of attempts without an interception, and his passing yards ranked as the fifth-highest single-season total in team history. 

Not a bad start for the No. 1 overall pick.

But Williams wasn’t the only rookie who set records in 2024. And, no, the other first-year player to shine wasn’t Rome Odunze, the Bears’ ninth-overall pick last April. Instead, that record-breaking distinction belongs to fourth-round pick, Tory Taylor. Yes, a punter.

Chicago Bears punter Tory Taylor (19) punts the ball to the Detroit Lions
Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The Bears were criticized for spending a fourth-round pick on a punter after the 2024 NFL Draft concluded. Let’s face it, punters rarely carry a fourth-round grade, but Taylor’s incredible tenure at Iowa made him a different; he was viewed as a legitimate weapon, and he proved to be one this season.

Taylor ended the year with the Bears’ all-time highest net (41.6 yards) and gross (47.7 yards) punting average, two records in key punting stats in his rookie year. Awesome.

Unfortunately, Chicago had to punt a lot more than anyone would’ve predicted. But Taylor’s ability to consistently flip field position factored heavily into the Bears keeping games close.

Indeed, drafting punters isn’t a good team-building strategy. But with Taylor in place, the Chicago Bears won’t have to worry about one for the next decade.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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