Ever since long-time fan-favorite Robbie Gould was forced out of Chicago, the kicking position has been a revolving door for the Monsters of the Midway.
Fortunately, former undrafted free agent Eddy Pineiro appears ready to change that narrative.
Kicking for the Bears in front of 60,000 screaming fans at Soldier Field has quickly become one of the more daunting tasks in all of sports, something that Gould made look relatively easily in his 11-year tenure. After the infamous Cody Parkey “double-doink” crushed fans’ dreams of a Super Bowl run last January, the position has been as heavily-scrutinized as ever.
Pineiro, who was brought in this summer via trade from the Oakland Raiders, has an opportunity to prove himself as the missing piece for what looks like a championship-caliber roster. After beating out fellow placekickers Redford Jones and Elliott Fry (released by the Bears last week) for the starting gig, Pineiro has wasted no time in flashing the big leg that he showed time and time again at the University of Florida.
In the team’s preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts this past weekend, Pineiro went a perfect 5-5 in his attempts, knocking down a 58-yarder in the process (something Bears fans haven’t seen in a long,
.@EddyPineiro goes the distance!
58 yards. Straight down the middle. #CHIvsIND pic.twitter.com/l9ybyO7aY1
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 25, 2019
Now that he’s not competing with anyone for his job, what we saw him do Saturday could be only the beginning.
As Pineiro explained to the media on Sunday, he’s received a great boost of confidence now that he’s not being mentally exhausted by worrying about who’s going to trot onto the field for each kick. Instead of going back and forth with Fry, he knows each opportunity will be his and nobody else’s.
“I do it for them. I do it for Chicago.”@EddyPineiro discusses support from teammates & Coach Nagy. pic.twitter.com/ZqPWSPhV2R
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 25, 2019
Pineiro is now 8-9 on all kicks this preseason, which is no surprise when looking at his college numbers. The 23-year-old converted on 88.4 percent of his kicks throughout his time as a Florida Gator, highest by any kicker in UF history. He was as automatic as the come as a junior in 2017, leading the nation in FG% (94.4) while nailing two attempts from 50 yards or more.
While it’s still too early to tell if his recent success will translate to the regular season, fans should be content with how he’s handled himself thus far.
If he can prove that his college production was no fluke and carry his current momentum into September, Pineiro can finally put an end to the kicking crisis that has haunted the Bears over the past three years. Cross your fingers and enjoy the ride.
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