Bears kicker has worrying quote about kicking at Soldier Field

Nov 8, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears punter Pat O’Donnell (16) and kicker Cairo Santos (2) take the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bears training camp at Soldier Field has not been going great for at least one position group, it appears.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos relayed a somewhat worrying anecdote regarding his work at Soldier Field so far this summer. He described having to work with holder Trenton Gill to find spots on the field where there were no holes, and basically admitted that his offseason work on a high school turf field was too easy compared to what he has to deal with in Chicago.

Cairo Santos mentions that there is a learning curve kicking at Soldier Field. Said that there were times yesterday when he told Gill to move the ball to get away from a "hole" on the field.

He's disappointed in the condition the field is already before the season begins.

— Will DeWitt (@Wi11DeWitt) August 10, 2022

Cairo Santos was kicking on a turf high school field in Jacksonville in the offseason. He realized he was getting too comfortable so he found a soccer field with taller Bermuda grass that better matched the conditions he deals with at Soldier Field. Amazing.

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 10, 2022

That’s not exactly a great look for the Bears. It might also add a bit more context to the Bears’ infamous kicking issues in recent years. One has to wonder how much impact the Soldier Field turf has had on some of the past kickers, especially considering that it has been the subject of complaints before.

For what it’s worth, the Bears do seem aware that their stadium could use some work. That’s why they have openly been exploring a move to the suburbs recently.