The 49ers are running it back with a surprise standout and paying him HANDSOMELY in 2026
The 49ers have caught lightning in a bottle.
The San Francisco 49ers took a weakness at the beginning of 2025 and, by the end of the year, turned it into a strength.
The kicking game was a sore spot for the 49ers until a mid-season chance helped the 49ers stabilize their scoring opportunities — and the catalyst of that change is now cashing in. With the start of the league year looming on Wednesday of this week, San Francisco is running things back with kicker Eddy Pineiro, who made 28 of his 29 field goal attempts with the 49ers in 2025. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last night that Pineiro was getting a hefty deal to stay with the 49ers.
49ers extend kicker Eddy Piniero on a four-year deal
Pineiro’s deal with the 49ers makes him the eighth-highest paid kicker in the league from a total value standpoint. His $10 million in guarantees also ranks eighth among NFL kickers. If Pineiro were to have that $10 million guarantees fully guaranteed at signing, that number would rank fourth among active kicker contracts — although that information is not readily available at this time.
Special teams has been a sore spot for the 49ers. Jake Moody was a massive investment by the team in 2023; San Francisco used the 99th overall pick on him to anchor their kicking game. After a fine rookie season, he was an unmitigated disaster.
To make a dramatic pivot off of Moody after just one performance in 2025 and end up landing on Pineiro, who was as reliable as could be? It’s a big win. And after seeing what the kicking game looked like with Moody, you simply cannot blame them one bit about eagerly securing the reliable alternative that fell into their lap mid-season in 2025.
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