What is happening right now with Cairo Santos defies the laws of football. Or at least it seems that way. The veteran kicker looked like he was all but done in 2019. He went just 4-of-9 on his field goal attempts. A low point in a stretch of multiple frustrating seasons. He was rather fortunate when the Chicago Bears came calling last year, a team in need of some insurance in case Eddy Pineiro ended up getting hurt. Something that wound up happening before the season even began.
Santos stepped in and things got off to a shaky start. He missed two of his first six field goal attempts. It didn’t look like he’d hang onto the job once Pineiro was healthy. Then? The Tampa Bay game happened. Santos came up with a pair of absolutely clutch field goals to upset the eventual Super Bowl champs. That game cemented him the job and restored the confidence he’d been searching for going all the way back to 2016.
Nobody ever could’ve predicted what would follow.
Since his last missed field goal on September 27th, 2020? Santos has made 34 attempts in a row. That is not a misprint. It is the longest streak in franchise history. Many of them haven’t been easy either. Several have come from the 45-55 range. High-difficulty attempts. It doesn’t matter. He continues to nail every single one of them. Sunday in Las Vegas was no exception as he delivered kicks of 46 and 47 yards to help put the game away.
Where it gets really crazy is the possibility of what is to come. This streak is impressive enough but it is also creeping closer to a milestone many people thought would never be touched. That of the most consecutive field goals in NFL history. A mark set by former New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts legend Adam Vintieri when he connected on 44-straight. Santos is now just 10 away from tying the mark and 11 from breaking it.
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Cairo Santos is one of the great comeback stories of any kicker
He looked like a star on the rise in 2016. Then an unfortunate groin injury derailed him a year later and he lost his job. Since then he seemed unable to regain his mojo. Multiple teams gave him opportunities but it never quite clicked. A second stint in Chicago seemed like it might be his last chance to do something. At that point, Santos had an epiphany. Forget all the outside stuff. Don’t worry about the past. Just go make the next kick.
He did that. Then he made another. And another. And another. Before he knew it, the guy was locked in like never before. His unbelievable run isn’t based on a series of lucky breaks either. All of his kicks during this streak have been on the money. Most of them right down the middle. The fact the Bears secured him to a new contract worth $3 million per year is looking cheaper by the day.
Imagine if he added a prestigious NFL record to this.
It’s the sort of thing players have written books about. All one can do is feel so great for the guy after everything he’s been through. Not to mention grateful for the Bears considering how many other teams have kicker problems this season. Sometimes two ships lost at sea find each other and it’s beautiful.
