Bears’ Santos to Step Up After Moody’s Departure

CHICAGO, Ill. – Cairo Santos must be at his best after the Chicago Bears lost kicker Jake Moody to another team. Washington signed Moody from the Bears’ practice squad, leaving Santos, a veteran kicker, in the spotlight. With no known health issues for Santos, the Bears are not looking to replace him.

On Tuesday, the Bears added Jalen Reeves-Maybin, a veteran linebacker, to their practice squad. Reeves-Maybin, who has been a key player on special teams, was selected as a Pro Bowler in 2023 and previously played under Bears coach Ben Johnson at the Detroit Lions. At 30 years old, he brings valuable experience to the team.

Santos’s performance this season has been solid; he made 16 of 20 field goals, and he has not missed more than four kicks in a season since joining the Bears. Following a miss in a previous game, Coach Johnson trusted Santos to attempt a critical 48-yard kick, which he successfully converted for the win. ‘He’s a high percentage field goal kicker,’ Johnson noted, expressing confidence in Santos’s ability to handle pressure.

Moody, who made 8 out of 9 attempts for the Bears, was a short-term solution due to injuries to Santos. The league’s system allows practice squad players to be signed by other teams when they are not on a 53-man roster. Santos, who has a career success rate of 85.1%, holds the Bears’ record for most successful kicks of 50 yards or more.

Reflecting on the competition, the Bears rely heavily on Santos as they prepare for upcoming games, particularly with challenges faced by their special teams unit. ‘He doesn’t let one miss faze him,’ said Johnson, emphasizing the importance of Santos’s mental resilience in high-stakes situations.