It seems like the 49ers’ kicker problem is here to stay for a long time. After Jake Moody struggled with making just 12 of his last 23 attempts, he was replaced by veteran Eddy Pineiro for their game against the New Orleans Saints. But the veteran who was supposed to deliver missed his first kick with his new team.

The 49ers got the extra point attempt after a passing touchdown from Mac Jones to Luke Farrell. But Eddy Pineiro was wide right and added another chapter to the 49ers’ kicking nightmare. He was brought into the game so that the 49ers could focus on other aspects of the game, as he had an 88.1 percent career FG%, which is the fourth-best mark in NFL history. But it seems like his stats and records aren’t matching his on-field performance.

Ever since Robbie Gould left the kicking spot, the 49ers have been struggling to find a balance. He set a benchmark for the 49ers kicker position with a field goal percentage of 86.5% ranked 5th all-time among NFL kickers. After he left, Jake Moody was drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft with high hopes. But he ended up making the kickers’ role more confusing for 49ers management. 

As a rookie, Jake ended the 2023 season with a field goal percentage of 84%. Then in 2024, it went down to 70%. Even after a below-average season, the management showed its vote of confidence in Moody and decided to continue with him. But his first week blunder, where he missed a 27-yarder, then had a 36-yarder blocked, was a tipping point that cost Moody his position. 

Although the 49ers won their game against the Seattle Seahawks, the team’s confidence in Moody was shaken. Soon, they turned to a fresh leg to deal with the kicking duties. Eddy Pineiro stepped in, signed a one-year deal with the team, adding more to the 49ers’ struggle with kickers in his first attempt. 

Pineiro arrived with high expectations but zero execution

Pineiro made his NFL debut back in 2019 with the Chicago Bears. Although he connected on 23 of his 28 field goal attempts, a success rate of 82.1% but this turned out to be his worst season. After missing the 2020 season, he had a short stint with the Jets. Even in this short stint, he nailed all eight of his kicks. And for the past three seasons, he was with the Carolina Panthers. There he took his kicking FGs to new heights – 94.3, 86.2, and 84.6.

During his stint with the Carolina Panthers, he made 80-of-90 field goals and 80-of-87 extra points. But this was not it, as Pineiro had missed inside from 30 yards. Even in a 50-yard attempt, he missed 5 kicks as a rookie and then just 7 times in his 86 attempts. 

All of these stats must have been taken into consideration to solve the 49ers’ kicking problem. The problem has been haunting them since the 2023 season. But now with Pineiro missing his first attempt, the kicking problem has just worsened for the team.