The 49ers closed the books on kicker Jake Moody on Tuesday and opened the door for veteran Eddy Piñeiro on Wednesday when he officially signed as San Francisco’s newest acquisition.
However, Piñeiro told reporters on Wednesday he almost accepted a deal with another franchise just a day prior.
“It’s been a crazy week,” Piñeiro told reporters. “I was supposed to leave to Atlanta yesterday until I got the call to come over here, and I took the opportunity and didn’t look back.”
That decision, though, spoke to the 49ers’ talent and Piñeiro’s belief in the franchise’s success this season — and moving forward.
“I want to win games,” Piñeiro said. “I want to be a part of a good culture and in my eighth year of my career, I want to win.”
For Piñeiro, the proof was in the pudding: San Francisco has reached the NFC Championship four of the last six seasons — with a pair of Super Bowl appearances as well — while the Falcons haven’t reached the postseason since 2017 — before Pinerio even entered the league.
The 29-year-old, who has seen action in five different NFL seasons since 2019, knows how unforgiving the kicker position can be and says his welcome can just as quickly turn into an exit if he’s not doing his job.
“At the end of the day you just got to make kicks, and I know if I don’t make kicks, I’ll be out of here,” said Piñeiro.
Piñeiro’s absence from an NFL team’s training camp did raise red flags for some due to the kicker being the fourth-most accurate foot in NFL history, but he says that just came down to finding the right home.
“I just wanted the right opportunity, and thank God this opportunity came up and this is what I wanted,” said Piñeiro.
Now, it’s on the veteran to put the ball through the uprights.
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