The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears renewed their rivalry Sunday in Week 5. The dislike between the two NFC North rivals exists throughout the team’s roster even among the specialists.
Bears kicker Cairo Santos made that pretty clear with what Packers fans called a dirty play on social media during Week 5.
Late in the second quarter after Matthew Golden returned a punt 17 yards, Golden finished the return along the Bears sidelines. The FOX broadcast video captured the receiver knocking down a member of the Bears staff.
As he turned to run back toward the opposite side of the field, Santos stuck his foot out in what seemed to be an effort to trip the Packers receiver.
Packers fans who caught the moment expressed their displeasure over the incident on X.
“Bears kicker Cairo Santos with a dirty play trying to trip Packers WR Matthew Golden after the play,” wrote GBPTrevor on X.
Fortunately, Santos was unsuccessful with his apparent tripping attempt. He didn’t receive a penalty for the act, but karma may have gotten Santos for the Packers.
In the third quarter, the Bears kicker missed a 43-yard field goal that could have pulled Chicago within 10 points. That was the final real scoring chance Chicago had in the game.
The Packers went on to rout the Bears 31-7.
Packers Fans Call out Bears’ Cairo Santos After Apparent Trip Attempt
In addition to calling out Santos for the “dirty play” with his trip attempt, GBPTrevor posted video of the incident on X. Over its first three hours, the video received more than 500,000 views.
On top of the views, many Packers fans on X responded negatively to the Santos’s act along the sideline.
“Typical of Ben Johnson’s Bears,” wrote Coach Beard.
“He missed lmaoo,” wrote Jay2Gee.
“Fine incoming,” wrote Golden Bay.
Bears fans also left plenty of comments on the post, criticizing GBPTrevor for editing out the first part of the play, where Golden ran over a member of the Bears staff.
While that’s important context, it certainly doesn’t give the player the right to trip someone. Other fans, though, didn’t see Santos sticking his leg out as completely malicious.
“Half ass trip attempt, but I’m sure he’ll pay for it,” wrote DoesntMatter96X.
Santos finished Sunday 0-for-1 on field-goal attempts. He made his only extra-point try.
After Week 5, Santos is 7-for-9 while kicking field goals this season. The Bears kicker has made all 14 of his extra points.
Santos has been with Chicago since the 2020 season. He also had a 2-game stint with the Bears during the 2017 campaign.
Against the Packers, Santos has made 23 of 26 field goal attempts and gone 19-for-20 on extra points. Those statistics include games where Santos kicked for the Bears and the other four teams in which he’s played for during his career. Santos has also kicked for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams.
In games against the Packers, Santos’s team has posted a 2-12 record. That would make any kicker not like a team.
Packers Fans Call out Bears for ‘Dirty Play’ in Week 5 Blowout