Cairo Santos is sticking around Chicago for the foreseeable future. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears have signed their kicker to a four-year extension.
The four-year deal is worth $16.5M, including $9.5M in guaranteed money. The contract will keep Santos in Chicago through at least the 2027 season. The veteran was playing in the final year of a three-year, $9M contract he signed with the organization back in 2021.
Santos has established himself as the most accurate kicker in franchise history thanks to his ongoing four-year stretch with the organization. Since re-joining the Bears in 2020 (Santos had a two-game stint with the organization in 2017), Santos has connected on 91.2 percent of his field goal attempts and 92.7 percent of his extra-point tries.
The 32-year-old has continued to be reliable in 2023. In 14 games, Santos has connected on 27 of his 29 field goal tries (93.1 percent) and 24 of his 26 XP tries (92.3 percent). Per ESPN’s Field Yates, Santos has also converted 10 straight field goals from at least 50 yards, the longest active streak in the NFL.
Santos has revived his career in Chicago. After spending his first three-plus seasons as the Chiefs primary kicker, he bounced around the NFL for a few years. Between 2017 and 2019, Santos spent time with the Chiefs, Bears, Jets, Rams, and Buccaneers, with the kicker connecting on only 68.8 percent of his field goals over that span. As noted, he’s been significantly more dependable in Chicago, and the Bears are rewarding his consistency with a long-term deal.
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