Cairo Santos injury update: Chiefs kicker could return this year

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos could potentially return before the season is over despite the fact that he’s been placed on injured reserve.

In the first public appearance to the media since the Kansas City Chiefs victory in Week 3 over the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Andy Reid used the time at the podium to provide the first bit of clarification around kicker Cairo Santos’s injury that led to him being placed on injured reserve earlier this week. The good news from all of it is that the kicker could potentially return before the end of the year for the Chiefs.

That’s good news for a team that often plays games close with a defense that forces opponents into field goals over touchdowns and a conservative offensive approach. This year that has changed a bit with the big play ability of three players on the offense in running back Kareem Hunt, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. However, losing Santos was definitely a major hit for a team that takes such pride in their strong special teams play.

Related Story: Have we seen the last of Santos in a Chiefs uniform?

Santos is the most accurate kicker in Chiefs history and converted on over 88 percent of his field goal attempts last year. He also started this season going 3 for 3 in the team’s first three games and he’d also never missed an extra point attempt in 2017. Unfortunately a groin injury that kept him out of the preseason flared up again, leading to the Chiefs signing rookie Harrison Butker from the Carolina Panthers practice squad.

Santos is in his final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason.