Football is a physical sport, and injuries are inevitable for the most part. The Chicago Bears sure know a thing or two about that, as they've been stung multiple times by the injury bug through the first five weeks of the season.
Now, veteran kicker Cairo Santos might not be able to suit up for Monday night's high-flying matchup with the Washington Commanders. He's dealing with a quad injury, and the fact that the team has yet to add a potential replacement to the position is a risky gamble right now.
The Bears Might Regret Cairo Santos Decision
"'Yeah, we will see as we go through the week as to how he's feeling and looking,' Ben Johnson said regarding kicker Cairo Santos, who did not practice Tuesday, per Zach Pearson of 247Sports. Johnson said they are taking it "day-to-day," with Santos.
Of course, the Bears already added Jake Moody to the practice squad, but given how much the former San Francisco 49ers kicker struggled last season, it's hard to think he's a reliable option for Ben Johnson's team heading into Week 6.
The Niners cut Moody due to his issues during the 2024 campaign and the 2025 preseason, sticking with him in Week 1. He missed a routine 27-yard field goal and had a 36-yard field goal blocked in his final game with the organization.
All things considered, not bringing in someone else to compete with Moody and be a legitimate insurance policy for Santos could come back to haunt this team. Everything needs to be perfect in the rematch of last season's epic matchup between Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams, and this should be a major concern.
While Moody was a star in college, that hasn't been the case in the pros. So far, he's made just 74.2 percent of his field goals, and he was just 10-of-20 in kicks over 40 yards last season. The Bears' offense has only totalled 11 trips to the red zone this season, so that spells trouble if he's forced to take the field and line up for a long attempt at 3 points.
Santos has been one of the most reliable kickers in the game. He's up to 85.7 this season, going 6-of-7 in field goals and a perfect 11-for-11 on extra point attempts. That includes four field goals and one PAT in the Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He's knocked down 89.2 percent of his field goals and 94.1 percent of his PATs in seven seasons with the organization.
While not wanting to move on from Santos makes sense for Chicago, there is still the matter of winning games in the here and now. Whether Moody alone will be enough to help balance that, assuming Santos is unable to go, will be known soon enough.