When kicker Cairo Santos missed that 53-yard field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Chicago Bears’ last preseason game, it may not have any impact on the result of the game, but it was still concerning given Santos has a history of problems with kicks at least 50 yards long.
Nonetheless, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower is not worried and is standing behind Santos, who currently holds the record for the most accurate kicker in Bears history among those who have attempted at least 10 field goals.
"I think the benefits are you get a guy that’s extremely consistent, very accurate," Hightower said. "We’ve always talked about him being the most accurate kicker in Bears history and he doesn’t even blink an eye at that because he knows
the most important kick is his next kick. The benefits of having a guy like that is just having a guy that’s dialed in all the time, that knows who he is, that knows what he needs to get done. And he’s also a value and an asset, a leader for everybody else, not only in the special teams’ room but on the team as well. So, I’ve been blessed to be around a lot of good kickers and he’s definitely one of them."
It is important to look at the context behind him being the most accurate kicker in Chicago’s history. Santos has only attempted 180 field goals compared to Robbie Gould’s 323. Gould has also missed less kicks of at least 50 yards than Santos has with around the same number of attempts. Gould also still holds the record for the most field goals made in Bears’ history with 276 with Kevin Butler in second with 246 and Santos in third with 159.
The expectations around kickers are different now than they were when Butler and Gould played for the Bears. There are a lot of kickers around the NFL that have the leg for a 60-yard kick; Santos cannot. His longest field goal throughout his NFL career is 55 yards which he achieved back in 2023. Gould was able to make it from 58 yards during his time with Chicago.
Gould in the prime of his career would fare better in the modern NFL than Santos is. If Santos struggles with kicks beyond 50 yards in the regular season, they should consider finding a kicker with a stronger leg in the offseason. The United Football League, a professional spring football league, has been a good breeding ground for NFL kickers and could be a good place for Chicago to look in the offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Richard Hightower explains what Cairo Santos brings to Bears
