Sportsnaut
The San Francisco 49ers are turning to a familiar leg. Former Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Piñeiro has signed with the team following Tuesday’s release of Jake Moody, according to multiple reports. The move reunites Piñeiro with the NFL stage just one week into the 2025 season.
Moody, a third-round pick in 2023, lost his roster spot after missing two of three field-goal attempts in the 49ers’ Week 1 win over Seattle. One miss came from 27 yards, while another 36-yard try was blocked. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch moved quickly, bringing in Piñeiro, who was available after going unsigned during the offseason.
Piñeiro, 29, joined the Panthers in 2022 and carved out a reputation for steady accuracy inside 50 yards. Across three seasons in Charlotte, he converted 80 of 90 field-goal attempts (88.9 percent) and was 80 of 87 on extra points (92 percent). His reliability kept Carolina afloat in several close games, though he was not known for a big leg from long distance.
The Panthers chose not to re-sign him this spring, instead staging a competition between journeyman Matthew Wright and undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald ultimately won the job, hitting a 48-yarder in his NFL debut Sunday while also handling kickoffs cleanly. The decision left Piñeiro without a roster spot until San Francisco called.
Piñeiro’s signing with the 49ers caps a whirlwind offseason for Carolina’s special-teams unit. Veteran punter Johnny Hekker departed for Tennessee, while longtime long snapper J.J. Jansen re-upped on a one-year deal to extend his franchise record for games played. With Fitzgerald winning the kicking battle, all three of last year’s specialists are now employed elsewhere.
For the Panthers, the move signals confidence in Fitzgerald while underscoring the churn that often comes with the position. Carolina has cycled through Zane Gonzalez, Joey Slye, Graham Gano, and now Piñeiro in recent years. Fitzgerald’s performance in Week 1 offered some early validation, but the pressure of consistency in the NFL remains.
The 49ers are hopeful that Piñeiro’s precision will stabilize a position that turned volatile under Moody. San Francisco has Super Bowl aspirations and cannot afford unreliability in tight contests. Piñeiro’s career 87 percent accuracy rate ranks among the league’s most dependable marks since 2019.
From a Panthers perspective, Piñeiro’s new opportunity closes the book on a two-and-a-half-season chapter. He gave Carolina stability at a turbulent position, but the franchise opted to reset with a younger, cheaper option. Now Fitzgerald will be tasked with proving that decision correct as the Panthers continue to rebuild under head coach Dave Canales.
The 49ers represent both a fresh start and a high-pressure stage for Piñeiro. His first test could come quickly in Week 2, and Panthers fans who grew accustomed to his steady form will be watching to see whether their former kicker can deliver on the West Coast.
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