Having a reliable kicker in the NFL is extremely valuable.

The Chicago Bears have a very good one in Cairo Santos, who is in his second stint with the franchise. He spent the last half of the 2017 season with the Bears after beginning the year with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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The Bears then signed him in 2020, and he’s been with the team ever since. His current contract with the Bears will make him a free agent in 2028. He’s earning $15.6 million overall with his current contract, via Spotrac.

You want to know why he’s getting paid that much? Take a look back to the last game.

In the 22-16 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, Santos was locked in. He made three field goals with the wind not in his favor, keeping the Bears in the game until the offense finally woke up in the fourth quarter.

He earned the honor of NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, and it’s no wonder why, especially after the magic he put on the onside kick that fell Chicago’s way.

Santos has already had an excellent season for Chicago. In his career with the Bears, he is 23-of-25 on field goals against the Packers, with both of his misses being blocked.

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The kicker made history with the 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He hit the game-winner but also became the franchise’s leader in field goals made of over 50 yards or more.

The game-winner was set up by an incredible 56-yard kickoff return from Devin Duvernay, which gave the Bears the ball at the Vikings’ 40-yard line.

It has to be refreshing for Bears fans to know they have a reliable kicker like Santos, given what happened the last time Chicago had a season like this.

In 2018, the Bears went 12-4 and had Cody Parkey as their kicker. Fans know how that ended all too well, with the infamous “double doink” in the Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, things feel much different with Santos now.

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Santos may definitely need to have another performance as he did on Saturday night in the postseason. Chicago clinched a playoff spot after the Detroit Lions lost 29-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers.

The Bears may need to call upon their kicker to make some clutch kicks in the upcoming game with the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday Night Football. There’s no doubt they’ll be backing him all the way.