After the franchise tagging of Allen Robinson, it was clear enough what the Chicago Bears needed to do next. Ever since the departure of Robbie Gould, their kicking position was mired in mediocrity Conor Barth and Cody Parkey had both failed (often spectacularly) to fill the void Gould left behind. Eddy Pineiro took his chance in 2019 and wasn’t terrible but had trouble staying healthy. Then, almost by accident, Cairo Santos arrived.
Pineiro was nursing another groin issue as the 2020 season drew close. Santos had prior connections to head coach Matt Nagy in Kansas City. Expectations were the 29-year old would make for a nice emergency option. When it became clear Pineiro wasn’t improving, Santos became the starter. What followed was the best season a Bears kicker has every had, finishing 30-of-32 on his field goal attempts.
A remarkable run for a journeyman who’d lost his way a few years back.
Now the man finally gets what was coming to him. He and the Bears have agreed to a five-year contract extension according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The deal is worth a maximum of $17.5 million but the last two years are voidable. It’s essentially a three-year deal worth $9 million that can become $11 million with certain incentives met. A well-deserved payday for a guy who was vital to the team’s playoff run last season.
After a record-setting season, #Bears have agreed to terms with K Cairo Santos on a $16M, 5-year contract with a max value of $17.5M.
Final 2 years of deal are voidable so it's really a $9M, 3-year deal with max value of $11M.
No more kicker carousel.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) March 12, 2021
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All things considered? Santos appears to have taken a bit of discount. He probably could’ve gotten around $4 million per year from another team if he’d tested the market. Good kickers are always in demand. The fact he took less than that says a lot. He wanted to stay in Chicago. No doubt he enjoyed kicking at Soldier Field but was also tired of constantly changing teams. Something that had become a habit since 2017.
Cairo Santos extension allows Bears to focus elsewhere
GM Ryan Pace has conducted the offseason with a clear plan in mind. Thus far the two most important pieces of internal business are handled. Robinson was tagged and Santos extended. The next goal would obviously be to extend Robinson as well but the Bears have bought themselves time on that front. They now have until July 15th to negotiate with their star receiver.
As that unfolds, their attention will remain on the task at hand. Finding a quarterback. The rumors persist on them seeking a big trade of some kind. Russell Wilson is the hottest name at the moment. Somehow pulling that off would likely convince Bears fans the 2021 offseason is a rousing success. This without even conducting other business in free agency and the draft.
They do still have some other internal free agents to address.
Cordarrelle Patterson wants to stay and is their best special teams player. Safety Tashaun Gipson is hoping for the same. Mario Edwards Jr. and Roy Robertson-Harris are two others worth watching. Don’t forget Germain Ifedi as well. Plenty of work left to do for Pace and the front office. So far they’ve done everything expected. Hopefully, that continues.
