The San Francisco 49ers turned to Eddy Piñeiro last season to replace struggling kicker Jake Moody, and the veteran immediately stabilized a position that had become a major concern. Now set to hit NFL free agency again, Piñeiro's future in San Francisco hinges on how aggressively the 49ers are willing to invest at kicker.
Piñeiro, 30, was nearly flawless after joining the team following Week 1. He finished the season connecting on a league-best 96.6% of his field goal attempts (28-of-29, tied with Jets kicker Nick Folk), with his only miss being a 64-yard attempt that hit the crossbar in Week 16.
While he had some inconsistency on extra points (34-of-38), his reliability on field goals marked a clear upgrade and helped steady the 49ers' special teams unit.
What is Eddy Piñeiro's market value?
Keeping one of the NFL's most accurate kickers—Piñeiro owns a career 89.7% field-goal percentage—will likely require a substantial raise from the one-year, $1.2 million contract he signed in 2025.
According to Spotrac, Piñeiro's projected market value is estimated at $5.4 million annually. This salary would place him among the top five highest-paid kickers in the NFL. The salary cap tracking site estimates he could command a four-year, $21.5 million contract from a team.
The 49ers have some flexibility with their salary cap space, but they also face several other pressing needs heading into free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft. Handing out top-tier money to a kicker may require some careful consideration.
Would the 49ers use the franchise tag?
If the 49ers want to guarantee Piñeiro's return, the franchise tag would cost approximately $6.8 million for the 2026 season—likely more than the team prefers to spend on the position.
However, San Francisco could use the tag as a short-term solution while negotiating a long-term extension that lowers his 2026 cap hit.
"First, hopefully, we get all those guys back," head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Piñeiro, long snapper Jon Weeks, and punter Thomas Morstead, all of whom are scheduled to become free agents.
Shanahan added, "We love those guys as people, and they played their asses off. So, they played at a high level, and we'd love to get them back."
Impact of an Eddy Piñeiro departure
If Piñeiro departs in NFL free agency, the 49ers would once again be searching for stability at kicker—an area that has plagued the team in recent seasons. Given his production and composure under pressure, general manager John Lynch may view Piñeiro as a non-negotiable piece of the roster puzzle.
For a 49ers team looking to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, consistency on special teams could make all the difference.
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