The San Francisco 49ers thought Jake Moody was the most talented kicker coming out of college. That’s the reason the team used their third-round pick on him in 2023—the highest-drafted kicker since Aguayo in 2016. They were initially rewarded. During his rookie season, Moody made 21 of 25 field goals, but that number dropped to 24 out of 34 in 2024. The decline continued in Week 1 against Seattle. The kicker first missed a 27-yard field goal and had a 30-yarder blocked. With that he made some unwanted history: It was the first time the 49ers missed two field goals under 40 yards in the same game in 19 years.

Though they won the game 17-13, fans were surprised to see HC Kyle Shanahan still back his player during the post-game press conference. Publicly, he insisted Moody would remain their kicker. That stance, however, changed in no time. The coach hinted at a move on Monday when he said, “There are options… Whether it’s to stay status quo, we could bring in guys for workouts, practice squad. I know the personnel department is going to look into all that stuff and give us those options.” Soon, the team cut ties with Moody and brought in Eddy Piñeiro. That’s a move that many were waiting for. Couldn’t they have done it sooner?

Well, if Sports Illustrated‘s Jose Luis Sanchez III is to be believed, there was a reason behind dragging it. He wrote, “The only reason they didn’t let Moody go earlier was to save face. Shanahan didn’t want his image to be tarnished because he made the mistake of drafting a kicker extremely early.”

In fact, San Francisco gave Moody more leeway than they ever did with Trey Lance.

When the 49ers drafted Moody, they hoped they found a long-term replacement for kicker Robbie Gould but his tenure there, was rocky at best. But the fallout also highlighted a bigger problem with Shanahan’s philosophy. He clung to sunk costs rather than pivoting early.

Now, they have Eddy Piñeiro as the replacement, one a one-year deal. He is a proven veteran with a steady resume. Most recently, he spent three seasons with the Panthers but hit free agency in 2025. His 88.1% career field goal percentage ranks him high among some of the best kickers in the league.

Eddy Piñeiro arrives as 49ers seek stability at kicker

At 29, Piñeiro has track record of being dependable. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the move signals an obvious shift. Plus, Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch are no longer interested in rolling the dice at kicker. Across five seasons with the Bears, Jets and Panthers, he has accumulated 92.1% of his extra points.

Duing his 2024 campaign in Carolina, he connected on 22 of 26 attempts. And same stats were 25 out of 29 in the 2023 season. For a 49ers team burned by Moody’s inconsistency, that type of reliability is worth the roster spot alone. Of course, Piñeiro isn’t flawless. His leg strength has been questioned, and he has never been known for booming 55-yarders under pressure. What he does provide, though, is exactly what Shanahan has lacked since Robbie Gould’s departure: A kicker who could convert the routine attempts without drama and force defenses to respect San Francisco’s red-zone efficiency.

The 49ers don’t need Piñeiro to be spectacular. They need him to be steady, especially in January when a single kick can swing a season. If he holds true to his career numbers, Kyle Shanahan may have finally found the short-term fix he desperately needed. What do you think?