Cairo Santos has made plenty of clutch kicks in his career, but none quite like the one that didn’t even score a point.
Saturday night in Green Bay, with the Bears trailing 16-9 late in the game, Santos lined up for an onside kick. What happened next flipped the script.
The ball took a hard bounce, clipped Packers receiver Romeo Doubs, and landed right in the arms of Bears defensive back Josh Blackwell. It was the kind of moment that doesn’t show up in the box score as a game-winner, but it set the wheels in motion for one.
With new life and a short field, Caleb Williams wasted no time. The rookie quarterback found Jahdae Walker for the game-tying touchdown, then later delivered the dagger in overtime - a walk-off strike to DJ Moore that sealed a 22-16 Bears victory. It was a gritty, come-from-behind win, and Santos’ perfectly executed onside kick was the spark that made it all possible.
On Wednesday, Santos was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week - his third time earning the honor and his first since 2022. And while his stat line was solid - three made field goals on the night - it was that one kick, the one that didn’t go through the uprights, that defined his impact.
This season, Santos has been as steady as they come. He’s hit 24 of 29 field goal attempts and remains perfect on extra points, going 34-for-34. That kind of consistency is gold in December, especially for a team trying to build momentum and confidence around a young quarterback.
In a game packed with pivotal moments, Santos delivered one of the biggest - not with his leg, but with precision, timing, and a little bit of chaos. And in the NFL, sometimes that’s all it takes to change everything.