Bears place Eddy Pineiro on injured reserve; Cairo Santos to kick Week 1, per sources

The Chicago Bears placed starting kicker Eddy Pineiro on injured reserve with a groin injury, the team announced Tuesday.

Veteran Cairo Santos -- currently on Chicago's practice squad -- will kick in Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions, sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Pineiro, who kicked in all 16 games for the Bears in 2019 and finished the year with 11 consecutive made field goals, missed all of training camp with the groin injury.

The Bears signed Santos on Aug. 25.

The 28-year-old Santos briefly kicked for the Bears in 2017 and spent several years with coach Matt Nagy in Kansas City, where Santos had the most productive seasons of his NFL career.

"Just being with him for I think it was around four years in Kansas City, I just remember thinking that whole time that we were there, there was no concern at all whenever he was out there of making a field goal," Nagy said. "There was a lot of confidence in him.

"He has a great personality and he understands his role and where he's at and what his job is, so for me, personally, just selfishly having him as a player in Kansas City helps out I think probably with the mindset here in Chicago."

In a corresponding roster move, the Bears signed defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr.