Santos is now etched in the Bears record books in several categories. He is the most accurate field-goal kicker in franchise history at 88.3%, holds the club record for field goals of at least 50 yards with 25 and ranks second in points per game (6.6). He also became the first Bears kicker to make a field goal of at least 50 yards in a playoff game, when he drilled a 51-yarder in the wild card win over the Packers.
This season, Santos also displayed his adaptability, finding success in the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rules. A kick that goes out of the back of the end zone means the ball is placed at the receiving team’s 35-yard line, while a kick that bounces in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone is spotted at the 20-yard line.
Santos began utilizing “dirty kicks,” which are designed to confuse returners through unpredictable movement or bounces, to help put the Bears defense in advantageous field position situations. Against Pittsburgh Nov. 23, Santos used the dirty kicks to pin the Steelers at their own five-yard line on one kickoff and the 20-yard line on another.
“Our kickoff is really starting to become a weapon for us,” Johnson said after the win. “Cairo is doing a phenomenal job with some of these dirty kicks, and it’s really helping us with our field position there to start drives on defense.”
Beyond Santos’ clutch ability and consistency, what also stood out about the kicker this season was his locker room presence and leadership as a Bears captain.
“When you get voted captain by your peers, I think that says a lot,” Johnson said. “We had a number of really good special teams players, and yet he was the one that got the most votes to be special teams captain. And when you see how they react in the locker room to him receiving a game ball or making one of those game-winning kicks, I think it’s pretty special. When he talks, they listen. He’s been around this league for a long time, and I think he’s been a really good influence for our special teams unit in general.”