Report: Carolina Panthers expected to sign veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro
The Panthers are expected to sign veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro on Wednesday, bringing the former Florida Gators kicker to Carolina.
Following the team placing starting kicker Zane Gonzalez on the season-ending IR following a preseason injury, it looks like the team believes Pineiro can be their guy.
“Panthers are signing veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro to a one-year deal, his agent @DrewJRosenhaus confirmed this morning,” tweeted Adam Schefter of ESPN. “The Panthers put Zane Gonzalez on season-ending IR yesterday.”
Since coming into the NFL in 2018, Pineiro has worn five different uniforms, with the Panthers expected to be his sixth franchise. He stayed the longest in Chicago with the Bears, spending two seasons with the team before bouncing around the league a bit.
Last season, Pineiro finished the year with the Jets, but wasn’t brought back to New York for the 2022 season. Before that, he spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders.
During his NFL career, Pineiro has hit 31 of his 36 field goal attempts. Additionally, his longest field goal was from 53 yards out, which are impressive numbers for a kicker who hasn’t found a place to call home in the NFL.
Nevertheless, injury breeds opportunity in the NFL, and Eddy Pineiro will have a shot to stick in Carolina with the Panthers. Time will tell if he makes the most of it, or if it’s another stop on a long road for the former Florida kicker.
More on Zane Gonzalez, Carolina Panthers
Earlier in the offseason, the Panthers inked Zane Gonzalez to a long-term extension, but they’ll be disappointed their kicker won’t see the field for the foreseeable future.
“Gonzalez hit 17 straight field goals to finish last season, before a freak pre-game quad injury at Buffalo sent him to injured reserve,” highlighted the Panthers earlier this offseason. “He hit 20-of-22 field goals after joining the Panthers in Week 2 of the regular season. That 90.9 percentage was ninth in the league among qualifying kickers. He also hit 22-of-23 extra points.
“Gonzalez also became a reliable producer of touchbacks, helping stabilize the coverage game.”
Nevertheless, hopefully Zane Gonzalez can get back on — and stay on — the field in the near future for the Carolina Panthers.