How Can the Bears Fix Their Kicking Woes?
The kicking position has been a touchy subject for many Bears fans. One of the reasons for this is the infamous double doink that resulted in a playoff loss in 2018. That heartbreaking loss is one of the reasons that many fans grew attached to Cairo Santos. Santos joined the team in 2020 and has held the job since then. There have been many great moments, such as game winners and his good accuracy on shorter kicks. Unfortunately, there has been one major limitation.
While Santos has had a strong accuracy, his production from field goals longer than 50 yards is a weak spot. In his career, he has only made 29 out of his 45 kicks from that distance. In Chicago, he has been much better, but it is still a cause for concern. In past years, the trust in him to make these longer kicks has been a topic of discussion for many Bears fans. So far in 2025, it has been a major issue. In Week One, he missed a crucial kick against the Vikings. In the same game, he failed to kick the kickoff out of the end zone, which resulted in the team losing valuable time. Unfortunately, these struggles do not help the team grow during the rebuild. Now the Bears must begin looking elsewhere for the kicker who can aid the team's future.
The team has begun this process, as they signed Jake Moody to the practice squad. San Francisco released Moody, as his accuracy has been a struggle. However, his leg strength has never been in question. If Chicago can fix that accuracy, then he could be the potential kicker of the future. It would certainly help if he just needed a change of scenery to turn his career around. Fortunately, Moody is not the only option available.
The Falcons stunned many when they released Younghoe Koo. Koo was in a similar situation to Santos, as he had a rough Week One performance that contributed to the team losing the game. As a result, the team tested other options and replaced him. Koo is still a very solid kicker with a decently strong leg. It would be foolish of the Bears not to at least consider him. The league is evolving, and the expectation of kickers is constantly growing. The team needs to consider all options, as right now, Santos may not be able to keep up with the strong legs of many other kickers. If Chicago wants to find their kicker of the future, it needs to look at options that have both a strong leg and good accuracy.
