The Chicago Bears and kicker Cairo Santos have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $16 million, according to The Athletic. The contract includes $9.5 million guaranteed, per the Chicago Tribune. Santos has converted 90.5% of his field-goal attempts since joining the Bears in 2020, making 105 out of 116 attempted, and sits as the most accurate kicker in franchise history.
This season, Santos is tied for 10th in field-goal percentage (93.1) and is tied for 30th in extra point percentage (92.3). He's been especially accurate from long range this season. converting all six of his field goal attempts from 50-plus yards. His performance this season earned him the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Month in November.
In his career, Santos has made 211 of 247 field-goal attempts, with an 85.4 accuracy.
The 32-year-old went undrafted in 2014 and began his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He bounced around in the league, playing briefly with the Chicago Bears in 2017, the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 and the Tennessee Titans in 2019. He rejoined the Bears in 2020.
The Bears are currently 5-9 and on the verge of elimination from the playoffs, sitting as the No. 13 seed in the NFC, right above the eliminated teams. They will face the 3-11 Arizona Cardinals, who are already statistically out of the postseason, in Week 16.
