With another close victory, the Chicago Bears are closing in on their first playoff berth since 2020. And with each kick, Cairo Santos is putting the Bears’ kicking controversy further behind him.
Santos had another strong afternoon for the Bears, knocking down all four extra points and a 47-yard field goal at the end of the first half that proved to be the difference in a 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The performance has Santos 11-for-14 (78.6%) on field goals and 14-for-14 on extra points since returning from a right thigh injury on Oct. 26. This includes a 6-for-7 stretch on field goals with eight extra points over his last three games.
With the added benefit of his “dirty kickoffs” and the departure of practice squad kicker Jake Moody to the Washington Commanders, the kicking job belongs to Santos for the time being. But the veteran has to worry about what his future could be, making his recent performance something that impacts Chicago’s long-term decision about the position.
Cairo Santos’s Evolution May Not Be Enough to Keep Him in Chicago
Santos has two years remaining on a four-year, $15.6 million contract signed in 2023. While his 86.9% conversion rate on field goals ranks 13th among kickers since signing the contract, the real issue has been his leg strength, despite converting on a long of 55 yards in 2023 and going 18-for-22 (81.8%) on field goals beyond 50 yards over that time frame.
With kickers able to hit from longer distances more frequently, Santos’s lack of a big leg may have convinced the Bears to move on as soon as this offseason. But like most players who stick around in the NFL until their mid-30s, he’s found a way to adapt.
The “dirty kickoff” has become more popular with the NFL’s new rules, mandating that a kicker must place a kickoff in the landing zone from the goal line to the 20-yard line. With touchbacks moved from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, kicking the ball to produce a “knuckleball” effect makes it harder for the opposing team to return, helping Chicago attempt to mitigate their 27.6 yards per kickoff return this season, a number that ranks 25th in the NFL after Week 12.
“It’s easy to hit so that it knuckles, but to have control of where it’s going is very difficult,” Santos told Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times in September. “There’s a lot of luck involved in that. That’s why it’s a huge risk. But guys are getting better at it, and that’s the next level of kickoffs if guys can be consistent.”
Bears head coach Ben Johnson also commended Santos for his kickoff style after Sunday’s win.
“Special teams stood out to me in a positive fashion,” Johnson said, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “...Our kickoff is really starting to become a weapon for us. Cairo’s doing a phenomenal job with some of these dirty kicks.”
Mix in a game-winning field goal in Week 11’s win over the Minnesota Vikings, and Santos is doing everything he can to stay in Chicago. But he may also be on borrowed time, considering that he just turned 34 years old.
Santos may be fine now, but the Bears have to consider what could happen in the future. While they could stick with him into the 2026 season, they’ll also have to make a decision eventually, meaning competition could be brought in next offseason. It’s a situation that keeps the Bears' kicker drama moving, even with Moody heading to Washington, and it could leave Santos auditioning for a job in the final six games.