Eddy Piñeiro reveals why he rejected Falcons' offer after Niners released Jake Moody

Eddy Piñeiro said the chance to contend for wins with the San Francisco 49ers was the deciding factor in choosing them over the Atlanta Falcons. Piñeiro said this days after the team moved on from former third-round pick Jake Moody.

Piñeiro told KNBR on Thursday that he was preparing to fly to Atlanta when San Francisco called. Instead of visiting the Falcons, he shifted plans to join the 49ers.

"I was supposed to leave to Atlanta until I got the call to come over here and took the opportunity and didn't look back," Eddy Piñeiro said.

"I wanna win games. I want to be a part of a good culture. I'm in my 8th year of my career and I wanna win."

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"I wanna win games. I want to be a part of a good culture. I'm in my 8th year of my career and I wanna win." New 49ers kicker Eddy Piñeiro had a choice between going to Atlanta or coming to the Bay, but once he got the call from SF, he knew he wanted to be a Niner.

The 49ers ranked among the NFL's least reliable kicking teams under Moody's tenure.

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49ers banking on Eddy Piñeiro's proven accuracy after Jake Moody's struggles

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Jake Moody’s release came after a difficult start to the season in Seattle. He had one kick blocked and missed another from 27 yards in the opener. This inconsistency dates back to his rookie season in 2023.

His miss in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVIII against Kansas City and his 76.3% field goal percentage ranked near the bottom among regular NFL kickers.

San Francisco turned to Eddy Piñeiro. He spent last season with the Carolina Panthers and converted more than 86% of his career field goal attempts and stands among the NFL’s top four all-time in accuracy. His 2022 season with Carolina was his best, going 33 of 35 on field goals, including 13 makes from beyond 40 yards.

He has also kicked for the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, where he worked under current 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. In his five-game stint with the Jets in 2021, Piñeiro hit all eight field goal attempts.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Moody’s struggles were as much psychological as physical, and the decision to release him was unavoidable.

“When it gets to that point, you can see it affecting him from a mental game. Then you don’t have much choice. You’ve got to move on,” Shanahan said, according to Pro Football Talk.

For San Francisco, Eddy Piñeiro’s signing addresses a concern on a roster built to contend in the NFC. The 49ers open their home schedule against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.