Overview
- Piñeiro has missed seven kicks this season — four extra points and three field goals — and his fourth-quarter missed extra point in the Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons increased the deficit and factored in the 29-20 defeat.
- Coach Kyle Shanahan said he would “probably discuss on the plane” whether to audition other kickers, reflecting internal deliberation but no immediate decision after the Falcons game.
- General Manager John Lynch publicly said the 49ers are not planning a kicker tryout and that the club still has “a lot of belief in Eddy,” signaling an official vote of confidence during the bye week.
- Piñeiro signed a four-year, $17 million extension this spring with about $10 million guaranteed and cutting him now would create roughly $6 million in dead-cap charges, which complicates an early-season roster move.
- The team will watch whether Piñeiro regains short-range accuracy because repeated misses affect late-game math and play-calling, and continued struggles could force a change despite the financial cost.