Chiefs rumors: Sam Ficken era is over, Cairo Santos is back
By Matt Conner
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The Sam Ficken era is nearly over in Kansas City as Cairo Santos is expected back soon for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs will be getting kicker Cairo Santos back when it counts the most. As the team prepares to enter the regular season, the Chiefs have been employing Sam Ficken as their kicker throughout the preseason as Santos recovers from a lingering groin injury. However, reports have surfaced that Santos might actually kick in the team’s final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, allaying any concerns about his readiness for the regular season.
Kicker news: #Chiefs K Cairo Santos should be back at practice, kicking this week. Likely does only FGs but good for the regular season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2017
Santos set a career-high last year for field goal percentage when he made 88.6% of his attempts, including an impressive 2 for 2 beyond 50 yards. Santos also connected successfully on 6 of 7 field goals from beyond 40 yards. He also matched a career high in total points scored with 129.
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Ficken has filled in admirably for the Chiefs, successfully connecting on 4 of his 5 field goal attempts, the lone miss coming from 56 yards out in the team’s third preseason game—a loss to the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Ficken has also made 6 of his 7 extra point attempts in the preseason.
Even if he can’t make the Chiefs final roster, Ficken has certainly put together enough game tape to warrant looks from other teams looking for answers at kicker. It’s simply a matter of opportunity for the Penn State product, and Ficken has taken advantage of the one he was given to replace Santos for these last few weeks.