Chicago Free Agency 2023: Bears sign Ryan Anderson

The Chicago Bears have yet to make an official announcement, but unless this is an elaborate photoshop taking place, it would appear they have signed 27-year-old punter Ryan Anderson.

Anderson’s final season in college was at Rutgers in 2017 as a graduate transfer student, and while there, he was First Team All Big-Ten. His 44.4 punting average that season set a school record, and prior to transferring, he set the NCAA DIII record for punting average in a season at Michigan’s Olivet College.

His first professional gig was in 2019 with the AAF’s Birmingham Iron, and he also spent time with the New York Giants during the 2019 offseason.

The Bears currently have second-year punter Trenton Gill, aka The Gillotine, under contract, so this is likely just an offseason leg situation. Additionally, the fact that Anderson is a left-legged punter will let Chicago’s punt returners practice fielding punts with the spin off a left foot.

We’ve seen the Bears bring in lefty punters on occasion during the season when they are set to face a lefty that Sunday, so even if Anderson is let go in the coming months, this may not be the last time we’ll see him at Halas Hall.