Bears Rumors: Kicker Cairo Santos Agrees to 5-Year, $16M Contract Extension

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

The Chicago Bears have agreed to a five-year contract with kicker Cairo Santos, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Santos can earn up $17.5 million. 

The Bears have struggled to find a consistent kicker since releasing Robbie Gould in 2015 and are betting big they've found a long-term solution heading into the 2021 season. 

Santos appeared in all 16 games for Chicago last season while making 93.8 percent of his field goals (30-of-32) and 36 of 37 point-after attempts. The 27 consecutive field goals he made last year set a Bears franchise record. 

The 29-year-old's second stint in Chicago is going considerably better than his first. Santos played just two games with the Bears in 2017, connecting on one of two field-goal attempts and two extra-point kicks. He was placed on injured reserve after hurting his groin during warm-ups the following week.

It was the start of a small odyssey for the league's first Brazilian-born player who had spent the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The undrafted Tulane product appeared in games with the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans before finding his way back to Chicago last year. 

The Bears were desperate for any sort of stability at kicker after debacles with Eddy Pineiro, Connor Barth, Mike Nugent and Cody Parkey. 

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Now the position is no longer in question. 

Even as the NFL lowers the salary cap to $182.5 million this season, the Bears were going to make sure their kicker was locked up for the long haul.