Windy City Gridiron
In this 13-part series, we’ll take an in-depth look at each position group for the Chicago Bears with an eye toward the 2025 season. We’ll speculate on who stays, who goes, and some potential additions we’d like to see general manager Ryan Poles make.
The Chicago Bears kicking game was much maligned in 2024, but it ended on about as high a note as possible with a 51 yard, game winning field goal as time expired in Lambeau Field on Virginia McCaskey’s birthday.
All in all, the Bears had a pretty good third phase a season ago, which is a big reason they retained special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. Three different Bears won an NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award last season, and Hightower’s unit ranked sixth in the NFL in the Special Teams Rankings put together by Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber.
Here are the Bears’ current specialists.
Cairo Santos - Signed through 2027 - Santos attempted a career-high nine field goals from 50 yards and beyond, hitting a career-high eight of them, which tied for seventh most in the NFL. While Santos’ leg strength has improved during his eleven-year career, he’s still limited in his distance. Some teams don’t think twice about trotting their kicker out for a 50+ yarder, but the Bears have to pause and consider all the variables.
Santos carries a cap hit of $4.26M in 2025, and if they move on from him, they could save $2.08M (or 3.2M if he’s a post-June 1 cut).
I think the Bears will consider a change, but moving on from the most accurate field goal kicker in team history is easier said than done.
Tory Taylor - Signed through 2027 - Fans were split when the Bears selected Taylor in the fourth round last season, and his inconsistent rookie season just added to the debate. I was fine with the pick then, and nothing I saw from him in 2024 soured my thoughts on Taylor. The Bears needed an upgrade at the position, and Taylor had the best season punting in the franchise’s history in average (47.7) and net average (41.2). His 34 punts inside the twenty is tied for the third most in a season by a Bear, and his 41.5% of punts inside the twenty is fifth best.
Patrick Scales - Free agent - The 37-year-old Scales missed all of 2024 with a back injury that required surgery. His time as a Bear could be over.
Scott Daly - Free agent - Daly (31) replaced Scales for all 17 games last season, but before that, he kicked for the Detroit Lions from 2021 through 2023. It makes sense for the Downers Grove, Illinois native to return.
2025 OUTLOOK - Santos’ contract isn’t enough to guarantee him a spot, so if the Bears can find a bigger leg, they may bring in some token competition. But if so, that’ll more likely be a young UDFA type who has been trying to make a team rather...
