Brazilian veteran Cairo Santos has established himself as one of the most reliable placekickers in the NFL. The 34-year-old entered his 12th season in the league after signing a contract extension with the Chicago Bears in 2023. Known for his accuracy and leadership, Santos has had an inspiring journey. Let’s have a look at his contract, salaries, and bonuses, among other things.

What is Cairo Santos’s net worth? 

In 2025, Cairo Santos’ net worth is approximately $24.7 million. The value is accumulated from his NFL contracts, bonuses, on-field incentives, and more.

What does Cairo Santos’s contract breakdown look like?

Santos signed a four-year $15.6 million deal with the Bears in 2023. The contract includes a $2.8 million signing bonus and $9.58 million in guaranteed compensation, with an average annual salary of $3.9 million. The deal, set to expire in 2027, will make Santos an unrestricted free agent.

What is Cairo Santos’s salary?

In 2025, the kicker will earn a base salary of $3.1 million and a workout bonus of $100,000. His contract carries a cap hit of $4.26 million and a dead cap value of $5.38 million. Here’s a breakdown of his agreement with the Bears:

What are Cairo Santos’s career earnings?

Throughout his NFL career, Santos has earned close to $26 million. He has played with various teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, and Tennessee Titans, among others. The earnings have been accumulated via contracts from different teams, bonuses, and various incentives that the teams gave to Santos.

A look at Cairo Santos’s college and professional career

After receiving interest from Georgia Tech, Jacksonville, and Miami, Santos committed to Tulane in 2010. The four-year letterman showed immense potential with his kicking skills. He played all 12 games in his freshman season and earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors. In his junior year, the kicker went 26 of 27 on PATs (his only miss was blocked) and a perfect 21 of 21 on field goals, including a school record 57-yard field goal.

He finished the season being named a consensus All-American and also received the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s most outstanding placekicker.

However, his collegiate performances did not translate into professional football. However, the Chiefs signed the Brazilian, who went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. He replaced veteran Ryan Succop for the starting kicker position in his rookie year and continued to show tremendous potential.

Santos’s first stint with the Bears occurred in 2017, but he solidified his role in the team during his second stint in 2020. He also played for the Rams, Titans, and Buccaneers in between his two stints. The 34-year-old set a franchise record in his first season of his second stint by making 30 field goals in the 2020 season with 93.8% accuracy. The record is under his name since then.

In 2023, the Chicago Bears awarded him a four-year contract due to his impressive performances. This season, the kicker is recording an 80% field goal and has scored 69 points in eight games so far.

Cairo Santos’s journey from going undrafted to playing his 12th season in the NFL is truly inspiring. The veteran kicker has made a name for himself as one of the most reliable players in the league, and his on-field performances have been reflected in his portfolio.