Cairo Santos


Cairo Fernandes Santos is a Brazilian professional American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Tulane, and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Santos has also played for the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Tennessee Titans.
He is the first Brazilian born player in NFL history.

Early life

Born in Limeira, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, Santos was raised in Brasilia, the capital, where his father worked as a pilot for Varig. Santos was unfamiliar with American football until he moved to St. Augustine, Florida, as a foreign exchange student. Originally, Santos planned to stay at St. Joseph's Academy for one year to learn English, but soon found that the kicking skills he had developed playing soccer in Brazil translated well to field goal kicking in American football. With the opportunity to earn a college scholarship, Santos remained in Florida, sharpening his kicking skills through high school.

College career

Santos committed to Tulane on 22 January 2010. Santos also received interest from Georgia Tech, Jacksonville, and Miami. Santos played in all 12 games his freshman year and was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team and was honorable-mention All C-USA after leading the Green Wave in points scored while making 13 of his 16 field goal attempts, 32 of his 33 PATs, and handling kick off duties. In his sophomore season, Santos played in all 13 games and finished second on the team in scoring making 11/18 field goals and 33/34 PATs while handling kickoffs and punting duties averaging 41 yards a punt.
The 2012 was a breakout season for Santos as he went 26 of 27 on PATs and a perfect 21 of 21 on field goals, including a school record 57-yard field goal. He became only the second kicker to make at least 20 in a season without a miss. 12 of those field goals were from 40-plus yards and 2 from 50-plus and 31 of his 55 kickoffs went for touchbacks. At the end of the season, Santos was named consensus All-American and received the Lou Groza Award for the nation's most outstanding placekicker.
Santos went on to compete in the 2014 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, where he connected on a 39-yard field goal and recorded one tackle on a kickoff return.

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs

2014 season: Rookie year

Santos was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs on 19 May 2014. He was named the Chiefs kicker on 30 August 2014, beating veteran Ryan Succop for the position. On 7 September 2014, he became the first Brazilian born player ever to play in an NFL regular season game in a 26–10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, also kicking his first career field goal. After missing two field goals in his first two games, he made his next 13 field goal attempts, including a clutch game-winning field goal with 26 seconds left in a Week 7 win over the San Diego Chargers and a 53-yard field goal the following week against the St. Louis Rams.
Santos was the team season scoring leader, with the most points by a rookie player in Chiefs history.
He also made most field goals by a rookie kicker in Chiefs history. Both rookie records have since been broken by Harrison Butker's 2017 season.

2015 season: Playoffs appearance

In a 21–36 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on 4 October 2015, Santos kicked a team record seven field goals, including two over 50 yards. His seven field goals in the game is the second most all-time in a single game, which he shares with five other players. The points scored by Santos in the game were the only points scored by the Chiefs during the game.
In Week 10, Santos made five field goals of six attempts against the Denver Broncos, the second game in the season with at least five field goals made.
In Week 15, Santos kicked a 53-yard field goal against the Baltimore Ravens. This was the fourth field goal with at least 50 yards in the season.
Santos was the team season scoring leader and sixth in NFL season. He also tied for fifth with most field goals made in NFL season.
In a 30–0 victory against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card game, Cairo Santos became the first Brazilian player to play in a playoff game. He made all three field goal and three extra point attempts. He kicked two 49-yard field goals, the longest field goals in the Chiefs postseason history.
In his second postseason game, Santos made two field goals in a 20–27 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoffs game.

2016 season: Player of the Month

In Week 2, Santos kicked a 54-yard field goal in a 12–19 loss to the Houston Texans, the longest field goal of his professional career.
Santos kicked his fourth field goal in the game, a 37-yard field goal as time expired, and the Chiefs overcame a 17-point deficit to top the Carolina Panthers 20–17 in Week 10.
Santos made two field goals in the 30–27 overtime victory against Denver Broncos including a game-winning 34-yard field goal attempt that bounced off the left upright with five seconds left in overtime in Week 12.
In November, Santos was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for the first time in his career after converting 11 of 11 field goals and all five extra points.
Santos was the team season scoring leader and sixth in NFL season. He also was the seventh kicker with most field goals made in NFL season.

2017 season: Injured season

After missing much of the training camp and the preseason with a groin injury, Santos returned in time for the start of the regular season. He started the season off on a strong note by converting all six extra point attempts in a 42–27 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. However, the injury was aggravated after a hit in Week 3 against Los Angeles Chargers. On 26 September 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs placed Santos on injured reserve. Santos made all the 12 extra-point attempts and was 3-for-3 in field goal attempts. On 30 September 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs waived Santos from injured reserve.

Chicago Bears

On 20 November 2017, Santos signed with the Chicago Bears.
Santos missed his first field-goal attempt as a member of the Bears, a 54-yarder. On 4 December, Santos was placed on injured reserve after hurting his groin in pregame warmups in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.

New York Jets

On 15 March 2018, Santos signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets. He was released on 22 August 2018.

Los Angeles Rams

On 2 October 2018, Santos signed with the Los Angeles Rams to serve as their starting kicker while Greg Zuerlein recovers from a groin injury. In his first game, he made a game-winning 39-yard field goal in a 33–31 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He was released on 16 October 2018 after two games after Zuerlein was deemed healthy.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On 12 November 2018, Santos was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Chandler Catanzaro was released. In his Tampa Bay debut, he was perfect on all five extra-point attempts in the 38–35 loss to the New York Giants in Week 11. In Week 15, Santos made his 100th career field goal in the 20–12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
On 13 March 2019, Santos re-signed with the Buccaneers. On 31 August 2019, Santos was released by the Buccaneers.

Tennessee Titans

On 4 September 2019, Santos was signed by the Tennessee Titans after Ryan Succop was placed on injured reserve. Santos was perfect in his team debut, connecting on two field-goal attempts as well as all five of his extra-point attempts in a 43–13 victory over the Cleveland Browns. On 6 October, in a 14–7 Week 5 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Santos missed four field goal attempts while also making an extra point. He was released by the Titans the next day.

NFL statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Accomplishments and records

NFL

On 15 September 2013, Santos' father died in a plane crash in Brazil. "I used to talk to my dad everyday, all the time. We were very close. He was my biggest fan, very supportive of my career, always wishing me to do well, no matter what. He will always be there for me. I know. After each successful kick or game I always think about him. I point my fingers to the sky in honor of him."
In the 2016 "My Cause My Cleats" NFL campaign, Santos honored Chapecoense, a Brazilian association football club, due to the aircraft crash that occurred with the delegation of the club killing 71 people in Colombia on 28 November 2016.