September 9, the San Francisco 49ers decided to cut ties with kicker Jake Moody, who was a third-round draft pick in 2023. Moreover, the organization decided to sign Eddy Piñeiro to replace Moody.
After signing with the 49ers, Piñeiro spoke with reporters on September 10, noting the entire ordeal that led to him heading to the Bay Area.
“It’s been a crazy week,” Piñeiro said (h/t KNBR). “I was supposed to leave to Atlanta [on September 9] until I got the call to come over here and took the opportunity and didn’t look back. Super happy.”
Eddy Piñeiro Rejected An NFL Team
Furthermore, the kicker stated that he was supposed to visit the Atlanta Falcons. Nonetheless, when the 49ers called, he didn’t think twice about heading to San Francisco rather than Atlanta and revealed why.
“I want to win games,” Piñeiro added. “I want to be a part of a good culture. I’m in my eighth year of my career, and I want to win.”
The 29-year-old has kicked for the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers. Piñeiro’s best season in the NFL came in 2022 when he made 93.8 percent of his field goals, per Pro Football Reference.
In 2021, Piñeiro did make 100 percent of his field goals, but it was a small sample size of five games compared to his time with the Bears and Panthers. Piñeiro made 33 of 35 field goals in 2022, where he was 13 of 14 from 40-plus yards and 2 of 2 from 50-plus yards.
Piñeiro will have Week 2 to show that he’s the right guy for the job, and if he can be what he was in 2022, the 49ers will gladly take it, as they don’t want to keep leaving points on the table, which was the case with Moody.
Kyle Shanahan Breaks Silence on Jake Moody Decision
Shanahan said that Moody still has the potential to become a solid NFL kicker, but his struggles with the 49ers were taking a mental toll. He added that a kicker who is struggling mentally can’t continue to perform at this level.
“Jake’s got a chance to have a hell of a future, he’s that talented, but when it gets to that spot — where it is, we know how last year ended, we know how everyone was looking at him, and obviously when it gets to that point you can see it affecting him from a mental game. Then you don’t have much choice. You’ve got to move on,” Shanahan said (h/t Pro Football Talk).
Furthermore, Shanahan stated the conversation with Moody about his release wasn’t challenging, pointing out that Moody comprehends he’s in a results-driven business and wasn’t getting the desired outcomes.
“I don’t think it’s that hard to have because I think it is what it is. I think he knows. He wouldn’t disagree with us. He’d have to say why, but it looked like he lost his confidence and he wasn’t kicking the ball well enough and was way too inconsistent,” Shanahan added. “It wasn’t anything I had to beat around the bush on. He knew that.”
