4:56pm: This is indeed a fast-moving process. Pineiro is joining the 49ers on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. He will be in position to kick for San Francisco in Week 2.
4:31pm: Despite Eddy Pineiro exiting the 2024 season as the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, he did not land a job this offseason. That may be a break for the 49ers, who ended Jake Moody‘s inconsistent tenure earlier today.
Pineiro is set to work out for the 49ers as a possible replacement, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. No other kickers have been tied to this vacancy, potentially giving Pineiro a leg up. With the 49ers needing to move fast, it should be expected we will have an answer about their Week 2 kicker by Wednesday.
Pineiro, 30 this week, worked out for the Dolphins and Bills last month. With those representing temporary openings, Pineiro would have a more enticing opportunity here since the 49ers are looking for a new kicker.
Best known for his Panthers tenure, Pineiro worked with current 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer with the 2021 Jets. Pineiro kicked in five Jets games in 2021. A better opportunity awaited in Carolina, and Pineiro operated as the Panthers’ kicker from 2022-24. Carolina let Pineiro’s contract expire, going with rookie UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald.
In that time, Pineiro moved into third place on the NFL’s all-time accuracy list — behind Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker. Chris Boswell‘s Week 1 showing in New York bumped Pineiro to fourth place all time, but the latter’s 88.03% career make rate is obviously quite impressive. He went 33-for-35, 25-for-29 and 22-for-26 in three Panthers seasons. This included an 8-for-11 rate from beyond 50 yards in that span.
A 2023 third-round pick, Moody missed 10 field goals last season and two in Week 1. The 49ers moved on with two seasons left on the Michigan product’s rookie contract. Greg Zuerlein also kicked two seasons under Boyer in New York, but neither he nor Zane Gonzalez — who joined Zuerlein in auditioning for the Dolphins late last month — have been linked to this job opening yet.
it’s good that Pineiro has a “leg up” on the competition, tough to kick otherwise.
Fail
Wonder why no one wanted him on their team? Cost too much?
Def not cost, my guess is the extra points. His fg% is only 4 lower than his xp%
And I think some questions about his range. Either way, beggars can’t be choosers.