Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos better brush off his onside kicks during training camp this year, as the NFL will allow teams more opportunities to utilize the exciting special teams play in 2025 and beyond.
Last season, NFL teams could only attempt an onside kick if they were trailing in the fourth quarter. In 2025, teams can try the low-probability special teams play anytime they’re trailing, as long as they declare it.
While onside kicks failed 94% of the time last season, having the option to at least try to get the ball back and make a game more competitive is a good move by the NFL. And it will increase the importance of special teams; for the Chicago Bears, that means Richard Hightower has to step up his game.
So does Santos, who suddenly becomes even more relevant for the 2025 NFL season. Santos successfully converted one of two onside kick attempts last season, which tied Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin for the best conversion rate in the league. While it’s impossible to maintain a success rate like that, he’s proven he has a knack for making it work.
The Bears are expected to be much more competitive in 2025, but their schedule isn’t kind. There will be plenty of games in which they find themselves trailing this year, which will put the onus on Hightower and Santos to take advantage of the newfound special-teams opportunity.