49ers agree to extension with savior kicker Eddy Pineiro

Kicking woes plagued the 49ers almost as much as their injuries the past few seasons.

That is, until Eddy Pineiro arrived.

The 30-year-old kicker signed as a free agent after Week 1 was rewarded Saturday with a four-year contract extension worth up to $17 million — $10 million guaranteed. Pineiro’s agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey, provided the terms to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Signing this deal means the world to me and my family,” Pineiro wrote on Instagram. “I’m incredibly thankful to the coaches and the entire organization for believing in me and trusting me to continue this journey with you.”

The 30-year-old kicker rewarded Saturday with a four-year contract extension worth up to $17 million. Getty Images

The deal gives the 49ers stability at the position they haven’t had since Robbie Gould retired following the 2022 season. Pineiro was initially brought in to challenge incumbent kicker Jake Moody in training camp, then was signed to the active roster after a shaky performance in the opening week of the season from the former third-round draft pick.

The 49ers drafted Moody 99th overall in 2023. He was generally reliable until spraining his ankle midway through his second season. Moody made 34 of his first 39 career field goals but missed almost half his kicks (12-of-23) upon returning, culminating in a 1-for-3 performance that nearly cost them an opening-week win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Retaining Pineiro was considered one of the top offseason priorities for head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. The former soccer player went undrafted and drifted between three teams before becoming the solution to the 49ers’ kicking woes.

The deal gives the 49ers stability at the position they haven’t had since Robbie Gould retired. Getty Images

Pineiro was nearly automatic after joining the Niners: He connected on 28 of 29 field goal attempts, his only miss coming from 64 yards. The 96.6% success rate was the best in the NFL and the second-best in franchise history for any kicker with at least 25 attempts.

Lynch said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team had “great interest” in getting a deal done. 

“Eddy was obviously fantastic,” Lynch said. “I don’t think the guy could have come in and done any better. He was fantastic for us. Picked our team up in a big way.”

Now, Lynch the rest of the front office can turn their attention to the other half of their special teams duo. Punter Thomas Morestead is also a pending free agent.

The team re-signed long snapper Jon Weeks earlier this week.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters