It was a kick from nearly midfield. And it was a kick that almost didn’t happen.
With just under three minutes left in the game and tied with the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers had a fourth-down decision to make. In the past, field goals within 40 yards had everyone holding their breath due to the inconsistency. The ones attempted over the last four games had a different kicker: Eddy Piñeiro. That still didn’t stop Kyle Shanahan from being skeptical.
“It was close,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked about a decision to punt instead of going for the lead. “We were pretty close on that line. Debated it for a little bit but said screw it, let’s see what he’s got.”
Piñeiro’s kick initially looked like it might be slightly off; instead, it sailed through the uprights, marking a successful 59-yard field goal attempt and giving the 49ers a three-point lead.
“He just showed us he probably could have done it from the [49ers’] 45 [yard line],” Shanahan said.
Piñeiro would be called upon one last time to give the 49ers the lead once more in overtime with a 41-yard attempt. Once again, the kick was good, with a bit of help from a doink. This time, the lead would stick. The 49ers would win 26-23 after an epic fourth-down stop.
Piñeiro finished his night making all four attempts. In his four games with the 49ers, he’s only missed once, and it was his first time on the field, an extra point attempt against the New Orleans Saints. He also took his sweet time rejoining the 49ers in the locker room following the game.
“It took him 20 minutes to get in there,” Shanahan said. “He was 4-4, so it’s all good.”
Piñeiro was brought in after the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. A game that could have been lost thanks to a 1-3 performance from prior kicker Jake Moody. In that game, Moody’s longest field goal was 32 yards. One of his misses was at 27 yards.
The inconsistency had been brewing since Moody’s 2023 rookie year, and in 2025, after just one game, the 49ers had to make a change.
So far, that change has paid off for the 49ers. Fans may still shiver when Piñeiro takes the field, but it’s out of two years of habit. That said, Piñeiro had three years with the Carolina Panthers. Ironically, fans will cite his inconsistency as to why he isn’t still with the team.
Maybe, like Jake Moody, a fresh start was all he needed.
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