The Chicago Bears are signing veteran kicker Cairo Santos to a 4 year, $16M contract extension the club announced on Saturday. The deal will include $9.5M in guaranteed money, and will slide Santos into the middle of the pack in terms of AAV for kickers across the league.
His $4M per year salary will make him the 12th highest paid kicker in the NFL, slotting in just behind Eagles kicker Jake Elliott and infant of Cardinals kicker Matt Prater. The 32 year old has been with the Bears since 2020, making 104 of 114 field goal attempts during that span. His 30 makes in 2020 set a new Bears franchise record.
He’s also set a Chicago record for most consecutive field goals made, hitting 40 straight attempts between September 27th 2020 and November 8th 2021. Over the course of his career, he’s sent 81% of his kickoffs for touchbacks, while making 85.5% of his field goal attempts and 94.8% of his extra point attempts.
Over a 10 year career, Santos has suited up for Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, and Tennessee. He’ll now be tied to the Bears through the 2027 campaign.
Photo: US Air National Guard Senior Airman Bruce Jenkins. This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air National Guard member or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.