On Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers won an 18-12 kicking frenzy against the Las Vegas Raiders in their final preseason game. In a game featuring mostly backups and reserves, Niners kicker Eddy Piñeiro shone, making all six of his field goal attempts.
Piñeiro finished the preseason nearly perfect, as he missed just one of his kicks. Fans have grown accustomed to this consistency since he took over the job last season. The standout performance on Thursday was yet another reminder that the 49ers endured the unbearable Jake Moody saga for far too long.
After getting selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Moody had a promising rookie campaign in San Francisco. He nailed 21 of 25 field goals and converted all but one extra point. In 2024, however, he took a nose dive. His kicking percentage dropped to 70.6 percent, and he made just 50.0 percent of his field goals beyond 40 yards.
Given the exceedingly short leash that teams have with kickers, one would've thought the Niners would've had enough about halfway through the year, but they elected to stick with their man. Not only did he finish the season in red and gold, but he was brought back to begin the following season. It wasn't until he missed two of three field goals, as well as an extra point, in the team's first game that Kyle Shanahan had had enough.
Eddy Piñeiro continues to show 49ers what they could've had even earlier
Once the 49ers signed Eddy Piñeiro off the couch, all bets were off. He was a lock all season and has apparently carried that success with him into the new year.
His consistency only makes fans further question why Moody was allowed to scar the franchise when other, more competent options lay waiting in free agency.
Fortunately, the organization seems to have gotten over its kicking troubles. Moody, on the other hand, hasn't recovered. He's played for two other franchises since getting released, and he just got dumped by the Washington Commanders after an abysmal training camp.
49ers now have responsibility to learn from previous scars
Now, it's up to the 49ers to learn from their past mistakes. Eventually, Piñeiro's time in the Bay Area will run its course. Whether or not the squad will take be proactive is anybody's guess.
Shanahan has already shown the proclivity to stick with players for too long, leaving his team vulnerable to expired veterans. With Piñeiro set to turn 31 in a matter of weeks, the 49ers should at least maintain a healthy level of skepticism.
Granted, kickers' shelf lives are significantly different from those of every other position, but, as the 49ers recently found out, they can become obsolete without warning. Whether the current coaching regime is aware of this fact is a different issue entirely.
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