Cairo Santos released by New York Jets

The New York Jets have released former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos who will now search for meaningful work just before the season starts.

One year ago, Cairo Santos was a fixture for the Kansas City Chiefs on special teams, a multi-year starter coming off of his most accurate season ever and heading toward a likely nice payday after a contract season. These days he’s searching for meaningful work just before the regular season begins after once again being released.

Adam Schefter is reporting that Santos has been cut by the New York Jets on Wednesday. The Jets have decided to apparently go forward with a competition of unproven Tyler Bertolet and Jason Myers, who was just claimed on waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.

Last August, Santos ended up injuring his groin during training camp and the Chiefs kept Santos out of every preseason game besides the fourth and final contest to allow him to heal. In his absence, the Chiefs signed Sam Ficken who did just fine, but Santos finally returned and looked well in the final preseason game through the first few weeks of the regular season.

Unfortunately the groin injury never fully healed and the Chiefs were forced to place him on injured reserve. When the Chiefs had clearly found an incredible new kicker in Harrison Butker, they reached an injury settlement with Santos and released him. He was picked up by the Chicago Bears, but the groin injury returned and he closed the year on injured reserve in Chicago.

Santos signed a one-year contract with the Jets last March and hoped to compete for a starting role but the recovery from his groin surgery has continued to keep him out all preseason long. The Jets are clearly tired of waiting and have turned the corner.