Cairo Santos missed his second straight practice Friday with a right hip injury, leaving the Chicago Bears without their starting kicker as they prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Now Santos has not been ruled out, but two straight DNPs give the Bears enough reason to prepare for the possibility that they will need a different kicker. If that happens, they have a familiar option available.
Jake Moody is currently a free agent after Washington released him Aug. 18. The former Bears kicker already stepped in for Santos last season and gave Chicago exactly what it needed when his number was called.
The Bears have already seen Moody do this
The Chicago Bears don’t have to wonder how Jake Moody would handle an unexpected opportunity. They already watched him do it last season.
When Cairo Santos suffered a thigh injury in Week 6 of the 2025 season, Chicago elevated Moody from its practice squad to handle the kicking duties against the Washington Commanders – He responded by making four of his five field goal attempts, including a 38 yarder as time expired to give the Bears a 25-24 victory.
With Santos still unavailable the following week, Moody went 4 for 4 against the New Orleans Saints, converting attempts from 27, 39, 24 and 33 yards. That is about as strong of an audition as the Bears could have asked for.
Chicago ultimately lost Moody when the Commanders signed him off its practice squad later that season. Washington re-signed him in March, but released him Aug. 18 after a training camp competition with rookie Drew Stevens. So Moody is available again.
That makes this situation particularly interesting for the Bears.
Santos injury gives Chicago a reason to revisit Moody
Cairo Santos has been solid for the Chicago Bears early this season, even though his numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page…
He is 2 for 3 on field goals through two games, with makes from 40 and 50 yards, and he is 8 for 8 on extra points as his only field goal miss came on a blocked attempt in the Bears’ 9-3 loss to Minnesota last Sunday.
There is no reason for the Bears to make a change simply because of those numbers. The concern is the hip.
If the injury lingers into the weekend, Chicago needs to have a contingency plan. And Jake Moody makes more sense than most options because the Bears already know the operation.
He has kicked in Chicago. He has worked with the team’s specialists. Most importantly, he has already stepped into Santos’ role on short notice and delivered.
That familiarity matters when a team is preparing for a Monday night game against an Eagles team that will present enough problems elsewhere.
For a team potentially preparing for another quarterback change at the same time, adding more uncertainty at kicker would be unnecessary.
If Cairo Santos is healthy enough to play Monday, the Chicago Bears can move on. If he isn’t, though, Chicago should at least pick up the phone and call an old friend.
Bears’ Cairo Santos Injury Should Lead Them to Consider an Old Friend