None of the Bears’ cuts Saturday to get down to the 53-man roster limit were shocking, but the players they dropped revealed key aspects of their plan for the upcoming season.
At kicker, a touchy subject for this team for years, the Bears kept Eddy Pineiro on the active roster despite a groin injury that has prevented him from kicking in practice for most or all of the preseason. They put Cairo Santos on waivers with the intent to sign him to their practice squad Sunday.
Either player could kick in their opener at the Lions. Teams are allowed to protect up to four practice squad players per week this season, a provision to deal with potential coronavirus outbreaks, so the Bears could easily bring Santos aboard the day before the game.