Cairo Santos has been in the middle of a lot of the Chicago Bears discourse this season. The veteran kicker was not needed much in Chicago's Week 10 win over the Giants, but the contingent of the fanbase who thinks Santos needs to be replaced is still there. The main reason for this is the perceived weak leg of Santos and the fact that Jake Moody performed admirably in his absence. In reality, however, the Bears are not going to do better than Santos, and the fans need to come to terms.
The latest kicker signing in the NFL is further proof of this reality. On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad after the consistent struggles of Daniel Carlson. The fact that a team desperate for a kicker upgrade went for Joseph highlights how the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Bears Are Stuck With Cairo Santos (And That's a Good Thing)
Joseph is a career 82.3% kicker and is 17/30 on field goals over 50 yards. He hasn't made his season debut yet, and in 2024, he missed four of his 20 field goal attempts for three separate teams. His accuracy of 90.8% on extra point attempts also leaves plenty to be desired. Moody and Santos are both significantly more accurate.
If Joseph is the best name on the market, this should tell the Bears everything they need to know about how difficult it can be to upgrade at kicker mid-season. Teams don't let proven, reliable kickers stay on the market for too long.
Santos may be frustrating, but the Bears are unlikely to find a better option than him during the season, and this includes Moody. Having a kicker who can hit 60-yarders would obviously be nice, but there is more to kicking than just having a powerful leg. Santos is more accurate than Moody in every distance possible, including in 50+ yard kicks.
The Brazilian kicker has made 97.1% from 20-29 yards, 94.2% from 30-39 yards, 78% from 40-49 yards, and 64.5% from 50+ yards in his career. Moody, on the other hand, is 94.7%, 89.4%, 61.9%, and 50% from the same distances. On top of it all, Santos is more experienced and has better accuracy in significantly more attempts.
Yes, Moody's longest FG in his career may be farther than Santos', but that shouldn't take away from the larger sample. Santos may not be the best kicker in the league, but he is easily better than the realistic alternatives. Bears fans need to come to terms with that sooner rather than later.