Personal Reasons To Keep Bears Kicker Cairo Santos Out Of Lineup Against Giants

The Chicago Bears haven't exactly been an explosive scoring team this season and Sunday that could get rougher with kicker Cairo Santos downgraded to out by the team.

Santos is the team's second-leading scorer, having connected on all four of his field goal attempts and four of six extra point attempts.

But Santos did not travel with the club to New Jersey for Chicago's game at the New York Giants. He was listed as questionable after missing practice on Thursday and Friday for personal reasons. Those reasons apparently are keeping him out of Sunday's game.

It might be time for the Bears to rely on quarterback Justin Fields for some points.

The Bears added former University of Miami kicker Michael Badgley to the practice squad and he was elevated to the active roster Saturday. He will kick for the team on Sunday.

This is not insignificant. Santos has connected on field goals of 50 and 47 yards, as well as a 30-yard game-winner in Chicago's 23-20 victory over Houston.

It remains unclear what personal situation has kept Santos out of the lineup.

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Armando Salguero is a national award-winning columnist and is OutKick's Senior NFL Writer. He has covered the NFL since 1990 and is a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a voter for the Associated Press All-Pro Team and Awards. Salguero, selected a top 10 columnist by the APSE, has worked for the Miami Herald, Miami News, Palm Beach Post and ESPN as a national reporter. He has also hosted morning drive radio shows in South Florida.