The San Francisco 49ers made their long-anticipated move at kicker this week, parting ways with former third-round pick Jake Moody and signing veteran Eddy Piñeiro. But as Piñeiro revealed Wednesday, the Niners were close to missing out on their new leg entirely.
“It’s been a crazy week,” Piñeiro told reporters after signing. “I was supposed to leave to Atlanta yesterday until I got the call to come over here, and I took the opportunity and didn’t look back.”
Piñeiro said he chose San Francisco over the Falcons because of the franchise’s culture and championship aspirations. “I want to win games. I want to be a part of a good culture and in my eighth year of my career, I want to win,” he said. The choice makes sense—since 2019, Piñeiro has carved out a reputation as one of the NFL’s most accurate kickers, and the 49ers have been perennial contenders, reaching four NFC Championship Games in the last six years.
San Francisco’s patience with Moody ran out after Week 1. In the 49ers’ 17-13 win over the Seahawks, the former Michigan standout went 1-for-3 on field goals, including a 27-yarder that clanged off the upright and a 36-yard attempt that was blocked. Fox cameras caught sideline frustration, with players tossing helmets after the misses.
49ers find their new kicker after parting ways with Jake Moody
Head coach Kyle Shanahan initially backed his young kicker, saying there was “no question” Moody would remain the starter. But by Monday, Shanahan admitted the team was weighing its options, and by Tuesday, the 49ers announced Moody’s release.
Moody’s decline was steep. After a strong rookie campaign in 2023 (21-for-24 on field goals, 60-for-61 on PATs), his accuracy cratered. He connected on just 70.6% of his kicks in 2024, including a brutal 50% from beyond 40 yards. Overall, his 74.2% career field goal rate pales in comparison to Piñeiro’s career mark of 88.1%, which ranks third among active kickers.
The 29-year-old Piñeiro, now wearing No. 18, has logged five NFL seasons across stints with the Bears, Jets, and Panthers. He’s been remarkably steady, ranking as the fourth-most accurate kicker in league history. His absence from a roster this summer puzzled many, but Piñeiro explained he was simply waiting for the right fit.
“I just wanted the right opportunity, and thank God this opportunity came up and this is what I wanted,” Piñeiro said.
For San Francisco, the move signals a pivot from developmental patience to win-now urgency. The 49ers’ roster remains loaded despite early injuries, and special teams miscues are a luxury a championship contender can’t afford.
Piñeiro understands the stakes. “At the end of the day you just got to make kicks, and I know if I don’t make kicks, I’ll be out of here,” he said. The 49ers nearly lost their new kicker to the Falcons, but instead, they land a proven veteran who could stabilize one of the roster’s weakest links. Now it’s on Piñeiro to make the most of his shot in San Francisco.
