The 49ers wasted little time finding a new man to lead their kicking crew in 2025.
Hours after waiving Jake Moody, the former third-round pick who missed one field goal and saw another blocked during San Francisco's 17-13 win over the Seahawks in Week 1, the Niners reached an agreement to sign journeyman kicker Eddy Pineiro for the remainder of the season.
Moody hit just 70.6 percent of his field goals in 2024. Kyle Shanahan's bunch will be looking for stronger displays from Pineiro, whose success rate on field goal attempts has never dipped below 82.1 percent in his NFL career.
Here's what you need to know about Pineiro's arrival in the Bay Area.
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Who is the 49ers kicker?
Shortly after the Niners released Moody, they agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Pineiro, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Pineiro, 29, worked out with the team on Sept. 9. A Miami native, Pineiro hails from a soccer background, earning four-straight All-Dade County selections and a Player of the Year nod after tallying 28 goals as a senior. He signed with Florida Atlantic on a soccer scholarship but was deemed ineligible after failing to meet NCAA academic requirements.
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“It was strictly soccer until I found out I could hit a freaking 60-yard field goal," Pineiro told ESPN in 2019.
After enrolling to play soccer at a junior college, Pineiro attended an open kicking competition at Alabama. He wowed Nick Saban, landing a scholarship offer with the Crimson Tide. However, he decided to try out for Florida and opted to commit there.
Pineiro spent two seasons with the Gators, nailing 17-of-18 field goal attempts in his final year. After the 2017 season, he declared for the NFL Draft.
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Pineiro got his first taste of professional kicking in 2019 with the Bears, sinking 23-of-28 attempts. He's proven a fairly steady kicking option in the years since he debuted with Chicago, landing gigs with the Jets and Panthers. He posted a career-best 94.3% success rate on FGs (33-of-35) in 2022.
Eddy Pineiro career stats
| Year | Team | FGM | FGA | XPM | XPA |
| 2019 | Bears | 23 | 28 | 27 | 29 |
| 2020 | Bears | — | — | — | — |
| 2021 | Jets | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 2022 | Panthers | 33 | 35 | 30 | 32 |
| 2023 | Panthers | 25 | 29 | 17 | 20 |
| 2024 | Panthers | 22 | 26 | 33 | 35 |