Santos on new kickoff rule, NFL's first game in Brazil |
LAKE FOREST, I.L. - The Hall of Fame game against the Houston Texans was the first time the NFL saw the new kickoff rule in action, and Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos had the honor of being the first kicker to kick off with this rule in effect.
“It was weird. It was very different. We’ve been repping a lot during practice. So, (we’re) used to that feeling. But, that definitely (felt) like, especially because we usually are in the huddle on the sideline with (special teams coordinator Richard) Hightower and going over which direction we’re going to kick and all that,” Santos said. “But now, that happens down at the 40-yard line, and he tells me beforehand. So, I don’t get to break with the team. But, it was good feeling the timing of everything and just how the play’s going to go down. But, like I said, it feels a lot more normal than it did back in the spring.” With the setup of the new kickoff rule, if the returner breaks through the coverage guys, there is a greater possibility for the kicker to have to tackle players in the open field. Santos is not used to that, as kickers were typically not in a position to tackle players under the old kickoff rule. “The likelihood of a returner breaking that line of our coverage guys is bigger. He’s getting more speed from where he (catches) the ball, and it’s going to be tough tackles, I think, when they’re running at full speed at you,” Santos said. “Before, when we could pin guys in the corner using hang time played to our advantage, (trying) to close the gap and make him go to the sideline and using the sideline to tackle. But, I think there are going to be more opportunities for an open-field tackle, and I can’t say that I’ve done many. But, I’m definitely going to try in the safest way that I can.” Another change for Santos this season is his holder. Trenton Gill was the punter for the Bears the past two seasons, so he also functioned as Santos’s holder. Now, rookie punter Tory Taylor has stepped into that role. However, there was not much of a change for Santos having Taylor as his holder as opposed to Gill. “Holders are so well-taught nowadays and have a great understanding of the different desires of different kickers and the leans and the spin and all that, their body position,” Santos said. “So, much like Trenton Gill a few years ago, it just took one day to just see, ‘Oh, he’s got it. It’s going to be comfortable and (he) just loves to get better every day. There’s many times that I make a kick, and he’s just like, ‘Dang, I think I missed the spot,’ and I’m like, ‘No. It’s fine. Don’t be so picky. It’s our job, Scales and I, to make you right, and when Scales might not have a great snap, I need you to save it, and then I’ll save (it) and make Scales right.’ So, that’s kind of how we operate just to make ourselves better.” Santos has fought to become a starting NFL kicker. He is from São Paulo, Brazil, and went to college at Tulane but was not drafted. He has played for five teams, including a stint with the Bears in 2016, before coming back to Chicago in 2020 and earning the starting spot. His journey is why he helped the NFL in its efforts to expand globally so the NFL would have a game in Brazil. While the Bears will not be playing in that game, he is excited to see an NFL game take place in his hometown. “I do think the NFL did a great job putting two fan bases that are huge in Brazil, I follow them,” Santos said. “I’ve followed for 10-plus years now, and the Packers and the Eagles do have a big fan base. So, I think they nailed (it) as far as creating a great matchup for what the country would love to go watch.”
