Cairo Santos has been remarkably steady since the Bears signed him as an insurance policy in 2020. He became the third kicker in franchise history to win NFC special teams player of the month Thursday.
Santos led the NFL with 41 points in November, thanks to going 12 of 14 on field goals and hitting all five of his extra points. He was 3 for 3 on field goals of 50 or more yards.
The Bears beat the Vikings 12-10 on Monday when Santos hit a 30-yarder with 10 seconds remaining. After missing wide right on a 48-yarder on the Bears’ opening drive, Santos scored all their points that night by hitting from 25, 39, 55 and 30 yards.
He has made 92% of his field goals this season, which ranks 11th in the league, and 21 of 22 extra points. He is one of three kickers who is perfect from 50 yards (minimum of four kicks) and beyond at 6 for 6.
Santos had been out of the NFL since the Titans cut him in 2019 after a game in which he missed all four of his field goals, and the Bears signed him just before the 2020 season opener because No. 1 kicker Eddy Pineiro was injured.
Santos broke Robbie Gould’s single-season franchise record with a 93.8 field goal percentage that season, won NFC special teams player of the month in December and got a three-year, $9 million contract extension. He will be a free agent after this season.
He also has the franchise’s all-time mark for field-goal accuracy at 90.2%, well ahead of Gould’s 85.4% from 2005 through ’15. He has made an NFL record 91.1% of his field goals at Soldier Field, widely regarded as the toughest stadium for kickers.
