Matt Nagy Insists He’s Sticking with Place-Kicker Eddy PiƱeiro

Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy is standing by his kicker.

Yes, even after missing two field goals in pristine kicking conditions in Southern California.

His explanation:

I don’t know what “We, for us, we look at us” means to Nagy, but “looking” at “us” makes “me” think the Bears should entertain a different line of thinking when it comes to the kicking game. And while I would fall short of calling for Eddy PiƱeiro to be replaced right now this instant, I can’t help but think about the real struggles Chicago’s kicker is going through right now.

PiƱeiro is slumping, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Since starting his Bears career by hitting 9 of 10 and nailing all 11 extra points, PiƱeiro has missed four of his last seven kicks. That’s a 42.9 percent “success” rate if you’re keeping score at home. And while missing two (including a possible game-winner) against the Chargers hurt, his two misses on Sunday night against the Rams were on that same pain threshold, if only because missing those kicks in that weather is inexcusable.

All things considered, perhaps it is time for “us” to “look” for other options.

And to think, there was a moment in which the Bears looked to have found their kicker. The Bears cycled through candidates in the offseason. And when it came down to a one-on-one competition with Elliott Fry, PiƱeiro kicked well enough at training camp practices and in preseason games to earn the edge. Opening up the season on a heater that included a game-winner in Denver made Chicagoā€™s decision look that much more better.

But just as the offense has fallen on hard times, so has PiƱeiro. And if we can have the conversation about Mitch Trubiskyā€™s future, how can we not have it when it comes to the kicker? Sigh. Itā€™s dĆ©jĆ  vu all over again.

(Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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