One thing the Chicago Bears fan base has learned about kicker Cairo Santos over the years: he can step up when they need him to. Does that earn him a pass for his recent performances, though?
The Bears are coming off a big 30-24 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night to move them to 5-2, moving. One of the game's most pivotal moments was Santos' career-long 58-yard field goal, which gave the Bears a nine-point lead and essentially sealed the win.
He got the game ball, and everyone was excited about their kicker coming through, but there was a moment when he almost lost the whole fan base. Without that 58-yarder, the conversation going on entering Week 8 would be completely different. That conversation should still happen, though.
Cairo Santos has not been automatic over the first half of the Bears' 2026 season
Remember, in that same quarter, the Bears led 27-21 with over eight minutes left, and Santos had a chance to give them a two-possession lead. Instead, he hooked a 53-yard field goal, giving the Patriots a chance to take the lead. Credit to Santos for bouncing back on the next drive with his career-best, but it was almost a disastrous end for the Bears.
Santos finished the game making three of four field goals, with the longest being 58 yards. He also converted all three extra points, scoring 12 points in the contest. It was a solid overall performance, but a trend is emerging.
This is now the third straight game that Santos has missed a field goal for the Bears, putting him at 11-of-15 for the season. That would leave his field goal percentage at 73.3%, which ranks 27th in the NFL.
Cairo Santos had missed a field goal in 3-straight games and had 4 misses on the season.
— Ryan (@RyanHeckmanNFL) October 23, 2026
We were about to have a conversation.
And then he completely flipped the tables on us.
It's time to start having the quiet Cairo Santos conversation for the Bears
Let's be clear: this isn't a callout for Santos to lose his job...yet. This is a call to action for head coach Ben Johnson, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, and general manager Ryan Poles to nip this in the bud right now.
Since after the 2023 season, Santos' performance has clearly regressed. He went from a career-high 92.1% from the field that season to nearly 70% in 2026. Santos was at 84% in 2024 and 83.3% last year.
One way to send him a clear message that he is going in the wrong direction is to bring in a kicker to the practice squad. The Baltimore Ravens have done this all season with Tyler Loop, bringing in former Bears hero Jake Moody, who bounced on and off their practice squad and delivered strong performances.
Santos needs that same kind of push to make it clear that he has to play better, or things will have to change. He has too much security, even though it's becoming crystal clear that he has to step up his game.
Read more: Bears news roundup: Cole Kmet is out for the season, Ben Johnson has no regrets
What has kept Santos going over the years is that he's been clutch for the Bears, which is great. At some point, one of his misses will cost them a game, and they can't let that happen. It's better to address this first before it really hurts the team when they are trying to win a Super Bowl in 2026.
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