Ryan Pace didn’t mince words regarding the Chicago Bears kicker situation. He made it clear the team plans to move ahead with their competition for the time being. They like the two players they have left. One being Elliott Fry who survived the full battle since rookie minicamps and the other being trade acquisition Eddy Pineiro from Oakland. The ideal situation is one of them wins the job and gives the team their long-term solution at the position.
However, Pace is not so naive as to think this is sure to work. He’s been burned by that spot one too many times already. While the competition will continue, the Bears have several eyes watching other kickers around the NFL. Ones who may have a chance to get released from their current rosters and end up as either free agents or waiver wire options. He even indicated they might be willing to make another trade if necessary.
That job won’t just be handed to anybody. It will be earned. So who will be the one to grab it? Pace declared that the battle is even to this point, but one Bears insider believes the talent level has a clear gap. Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly stated quite clearly during his mailbag that one has stood out above the other in terms of pure leg capability.
“None that are a clear upgrade over Eddy Pineiro or Elliott Fry. Both of these kids appear to have NFL legs and Pineiro’s leg looks and sounds (when he hits the ball) like it could be special.”
Chicago Bears kicker job is Eddy Pineiro’s to lose
Arkush didn’t just say this is a passing answer either. A few weeks later he doubled down during a piece on the Bears special teams for the Daily Herald. He used that same word to describe Pineiro again. It’s apparent this man who has watched the team for decades truly believes the young man has the leg and the makeup to thrive in Chicago.
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“Pineiro looks like he could be special, while Fry’s short-lived but perfect 14-14 AAF run last spring showed he’s got the ability, but we have no idea whether Matt Nagy and Pace are through auditioning kickers yet.”
Leg strength is important for any kicker and there are plenty who have it. The key difference is having leg strength with accuracy. Kicking in Chicago is not easy. The wind coming off Lake Michigan always makes it a challenge. One needs to be able to control exactly where their kicks go and to give it a strong enough boot to cut through those gusts to reach the uprights.
Pineiro has that. He was a perfect 5-of-5 from 50 yards and out during his final season at Florida. He also nailed a 48-yarder for the Raiders during his lone preseason appearance last year. So the leg is no joke. It comes down to whether he can survive the gauntlet of tests the Bears are throwing at him.
