The Bears on Saturday signed kicker Cairo Santos to a four-year contract extension through the 2027 season.
"It is great to extend Cairo for another four years," said general manager Ryan Poles. "His consistency and dependability will help us continue to elevate. We want to thank Paul Sheehy at ProStar Sports for helping get the extension done."
Santos, 32, is the most accurate kicker in Bears history, having made 90.5% of his field-goal attempts (105 of 116). This season he has connected on 93.1% of his tries (27 of 29), including 6 of 6 from 50 yards and beyond.
Santos was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November after connecting on 12 of 14 field goals and 5 of 5 extra points in four games, including 3 of 3 field goals from at least 50 yards.
The 10-year NFL veteran ended the month by connecting on four field goals, capped by a 30-yarder with :10 remaining that lifted the Bears to a 12-10 comeback win over the Vikings in Minnesota. Earlier in the game, he matched a career long by hitting a 55-yarder.
Santos has won three player of the month awards, including two with the Bears. He was honored in December 2020 after making 9 of 9 field goals in four games and helping the Bears register three straight victories to put them in position to earn a wild card berth in the playoffs.
Santos finished the 2020 regular season making his final 27 field goal attempts to eclipse Robbie Gould's Bears record of 26 in a row set in 2005-06. Santos followed by connecting on his first 13 tries in 2021, extending his streak to 40 straight, four shy of the NFL record and the third longest streak in league history.
Santos excelled early in his career, converting 84.8% of his field-goal attempts (89 of 105) during his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs from 2014-17. But after aggravating a groin injury in a Week 3 win in 2017, he was placed on injured reserve and then released by Kansas City.
Santos signed with the Bears later that season. He appeared in two games, making 1 of 2 field-goal tries, but he hurt his groin again and landed on injured reserve. He kicked for the Rams and Buccaneers in 2018 and the Titans in 2019 before rejoining the Bears in 2020.
With Eddy Piñeiro sidelined by a groin injury, Santos was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster before the season opener and ultimately set a Bears single-season record by converting 93.8% of his field-goal attempts (30 of 32).
