Bears kicker Cairo Santos, already the franchise's most accurate, says he is still improving at 34
Entering his 13th NFL season, Santos has added a little range and flexibility work to his offseason while continuing to hold the Bears' records for field-goal accuracy.
By Ken Adams · · Originally reported by Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos says he never feels he can relax, a habit he traces to spending most of his career having to prove himself. That mindset has stayed with him through seven seasons in Chicago, even as he has stabilized one of the team's most troublesome positions.
He appears to have won over coach Ben Johnson after some early problems last season, and the Bears signaled their trust by not bringing in any competition for him this summer. Santos said that reassured him "a little bit," but he is still operating as if things could change quickly. Speaking to the Sun-Times before the team's preseason game at Cincinnati on Saturday, he said the real contest is with himself and that he wants to keep improving so the team never feels the need to look elsewhere.
Santos turns 35 this season, which makes him one of the league's oldest kickers. At that stage a player is usually trying to hold steady rather than get better, but he disagrees. He has worked this offseason to stretch his range slightly, with the aim of being ultra-reliable inside 50 yards and a reasonable option for Johnson out to 55, two yards farther than last season.
At 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, Santos does not expect to match the 60-plus-yard kicks that Dallas' Brandon Aubrey, who is built like a linebacker, can make with relative ease. Santos said that at Soldier Field the priority is converting from 53 yards and in, and that chasing distance would cost him the consistency he needs on shorter attempts. "I try not to kick how these guys are kicking because I know what works for me is something more consistent and true," he said.
Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has seen a difference in training camp. "It's crazy to go into Year 13 and see the constant improvement," he said. Santos credited the extra distance to an offseason built more around flexibility than strength, which he hopes will also limit injuries. He missed two games last season with a quadriceps issue. He said he added mobility and a bit more length to his leg swing, which brings a little more power and height on the ball.
The numbers support his standing. Santos is the most accurate field-goal kicker in Bears history at 88.3% and the franchise leader at Soldier Field at 89%. The stadium is widely considered the NFL's toughest place to kick because of wind, freezing temperatures and turf problems. Longtime Bears kicker Robbie Gould finished at 85.4% overall and 84.3% at home. Since 2020, Santos has made 88.9% of his field goals at Soldier Field in November, December and January.
His path to that point was uncertain. From 2017 through 2019 he moved among six teams, including a brief stint with the Bears when then-coach John Fox called him "Carlos." His career looked to be over until former coach Matt Nagy pushed the front office to sign him when Eddy Pineiro was injured in 2020 training camp. After a shaky start, Santos made a franchise-record 40 consecutive field goals.
After the Bears fired Nagy and Ryan Pace following the 2021 season, Santos earned the confidence of new general manager Ryan Poles and received a contract extension. Last season, Johnson was frustrated enough by a botched kickoff and a missed field goal in the opener to add Jake Moody to the practice squad, but Santos was solid the rest of the way. Practice microphones recently caught Johnson jokingly trying out some Portuguese on Santos, who is Brazilian.
Santos is signed through next season. If he can keep improving, the Bears would likely welcome the stability for even longer.
