Assessing Whether the 49ers Should Franchise Tag Eddy Piñeiro

This could be the best choice.

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddie Pineiro (18) after the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The 2025 season is finally over, but now the real work begins for the San Francisco 49ers.

The organization has a lot to consider this offseason. There will be lots of changes to contracts, multiple releases and potential new arrivals.

But first, beginning February 17, the 49ers will have the opportunity to franchise-tag any departing player headed into free agency.

From the long list of departing players, there's one that the 49ers should consider tagging.

Why the 49ers should consider franchise tagging Eddy Piñeiro

San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro (18) kicks a field goal Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Eddy Piñeiro’s involvement was one of the stories of the season. The 49ers found him on his couch after replacing him with Jake Moody, and from his very first kick, he eased concerns created by Moody’s inconsistency, ultimately becoming one of the most reliable kickers in the league.

Piñeiro’s projected franchise tag would far exceed the $1,170,000 contract he agreed to. Per ESPN, last season, the non-exclusive tag was $6,459,000, and the transition tag was $5,830,000, both of which would represent a modest cap hit for a kicker despite the higher earnings.

The 49ers will have a healthy amount of cap space to work with throughout the offseason, meaning that by most metrics, it would be a solid opportunity to give Piñeiro a well-earned deal. Kickers will never earn top-tier money, but offering him a contract that prevents other teams from making an offer is crucial. The 49ers wouldn’t want to lose him.

The fit goes both ways: the 49ers want Piñeiro in San Francisco, and Piñeiro wants to stay. At this point, it’s simply a question of whether the team gets a deal done, and there’s little reason to believe they won’t.

The front office has taken a similar approach before with Robbie Gould, who proved just as reliable. A long-term deal should be considered again, as it makes sense from both a financial and stability standpoint.

Kickers always show strong continuity, and Piñeiro still has plenty of productive years ahead of him if he chooses to play as long as Gould did. Paying more than $6 million for a single season is far less appealing when a long-term agreement would likely be a better bargain.

While the decision to draft Moody in the first place still looms over the front office, this is the opportunity to put any remaining doubts to rest by presenting a kicker with a multiple-year contract.

Going 28-for-29 on field goals, with his lone miss coming from 64 yards, shows why it’s the right choice.