The phrase “Bears kicker” right now refers to Cairo Santos, and nothing major has “happened” to him in the sense of being cut, retired, or seriously injured; he is still active and just kicked in the Bears’ recent playoff run, including their overtime loss to the Rams on January 18, 2026.

Who the Bears kicker is

  • The Chicago Bears’ current primary kicker is Cairo Santos, who has been with the team for multiple seasons.
  • In January 2026 game highlights, he is shown hitting field goals for Chicago, confirming he is still their active kicker.

Recent games and news

  • In the Bears’ divisional-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams on January 18, 2026, Santos converted a 48‑yard field goal that gave Chicago a 10–7 lead late in the first half.
  • The Bears were ultimately eliminated when Rams kicker Harrison Mevis hit a game‑winning 42‑yard field goal in overtime, which is why a lot of recent conversation about “the kicker” in that game focuses on Mevis on the Rams’ side rather than Santos.

Why people are asking “what happened to Bears kicker”

  • The question is trending mainly because of the dramatic playoff game where Chicago’s season ended on a kick by the opposing team’s kicker, not because of a major personal incident involving Santos.
  • Forum and social chatter often blend “Bears kicker” with discussion of Harrison Mevis (“Thiccer Kicker”) for the Rams, but there is no public report of Santos being released, benched long‑term, or seriously injured as of mid‑January 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.