The Chicago Bears already knew they had their hands full going into Washington. The Commanders are a good, well-coached team led by a dynamic quarterback. They also have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, which isn’t great for a Bears defense that is second-worst against the run. Sadly, as has become the case too often this year, the bad news didn’t stop this week. Defensive end Austin Booker, who’d entered his practice window after being on IR for a month, was not activated. He is out for the game. That isn’t ideal for a pass rush with only five sacks.
Somehow, it gets worse.
Kicker Cairo Santos was declared inactive for the game. He’s been suffering from a quad strain that flared up this week. That means the Bears are forced to put their kicking duties in the hands of Jake Moody. The former 3rd round pick had a promising rookie season in 2023, but saw his efficiency dip last year. After a rough start to 2025, he was cut by the San Francisco 49ers. He is 1-for-3 this season, with both misses coming inside 40 yards. It was smart of the Bears to have a backup plan for Santos, but going with Moody felt like a dangerous gamble.
The Chicago Bears must avoid putting this game on Moody.
While the young kicker possesses talent, his psyche is currently in a fragile state. Getting cut by your original team because you weren’t good enough can be difficult to deal with. The Chicago Bears probably hoped he’d be able to spend a couple of months on the practice squad working on his mechanics and regaining some composure. Santos going down now feels like unfortunate timing. Now Moody’s first appearance is primetime, on the road, against a team the Bears are tormented by due to last season. Head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t have a choice. Moody must play. However, he would be wise to do everything in his power to avoid letting this game come down to a field goal. History says that it probably won’t end well for the Bears.
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Given their recent luck, we can probably predict how this will turn out. Then again, this season has been full of surprises. Best to let things play out.
