The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.
Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2023 season. We’ll recap their 2022 season, look ahead to 2023 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
First up at No. 30 is kicker Cairo Santos, who will look to hold off undrafted rookie Andre Szymt for the starting job.
Background
Position: Kicker
Age: 31
Experience: 10th season
2023 cap hit: $4.5 million
2022 recap
When it comes to field goals, Santos had his best year since his record-setting 2020 season, when he set a franchise record for consecutive field goals overall in a single season (27) and a single-season percentage record (93.8%). In 2022, Santos connected on 21 of 23 field goals (91.3%), including connecting on 4-of-5 beyond 50 yards, which has been an issue in the past. But it was his five missed extra points that were cause for concern. They all happened at Soldier Field, including two during the monsoon that was Week 1.
2023 outlook
Santos has been the fix to the kicker woes that plagued the Bears following the release of Robbie Gould in 2016, and Santos is entering the final year of his three-year contract extension. Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower called Santos a “top-five kicker,” and it sounds like the Bears have a ton of confidence in Santos heading into 2023. But there were concerns about Santos’ missed extra points, which Hightower said he fixed at the end of the 2022 season. It’s a safe bet that Santos will be the starting kicker in 2023. But it’s not necessarily a guarantee with some competition on the roster.
Big question: Will undrafted rookie Andre Szmyt challenge Santos for the starting job?
There’s been no indication that Santos’ starting job is in jeopardy this year. With that said, Chicago did add legitimate competition in undrafted rookie Andre Szmyt, who has the potential to develop into a starting NFL kicker. Santos has been a pillar of consistency, connecting on 90.6 percent of his field goals since joining the Bears in 2020. Santos struggled at times with extra points, missing five in 2022. He also has struggled with kicks beyond 50 yards, which is why the addition of a bigger-leg Szmyt is appealing. Santos is still the favorite to start in 2023, but it also wouldn’t be a complete surprise if Szmyt proved to be the better option.
30 Most Important Bears of 2023
We’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears of 2023. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp.
| 30. K Cairo Santos | 29. COMING 6/27 | 28. COMING 6/28 |
| 27. COMING 6/29 | 26. COMING 6/30 | 25. COMING 7/1 |
| 24. COMING 7/2 | 23. COMING 7/3 | 22. COMING 7/4 |
| 21. COMING 7/5 | 20. COMING 7/6 | 19. COMING 7/7 |
| 18. COMING 7/8 | 17. COMING 7/9 | 16. COMING 7/10 |
| 15. COMING 7/11 | 14. COMING 7/12 | 13. COMING 7/13 |
| 12. COMING 7/14 | 11. COMING 7/15 | 10. COMING 7/16 |
| 9. COMING 7/17 | 8. COMING 7/18 | 7. COMING 7/19 |
| 6. COMING 7/20 | 5. COMING 7/21 | 4. COMING 7/22 |
| 3. COMING 7/23 | 2. COMING 7/24 | 1. COMING 7/25 |
