The San Francisco 49ers worked out two veteran kickers on Saturday, checking out Greg Joseph and Younghoe Koo. But here’s the shocker: they didn’t sign either one, which tells you everything about their confidence in Eddy Pineiro. This dude was battling an illness all week, totally sidelining him from practice, and head coach Kyle Shanahan even hinted on Friday that they were exploring options. Turns out, those workouts were purely a preventive measure, a sigh of relief for the team and for Pineiro.
Kicker Drama Clears Up Just in Time
Can you believe the rollercoaster with Pineiro? The guy was out cold all week, not hitting the field once. And Shanahan, bless his heart, put everyone on notice Friday, saying they’d be checking out other legs. They brought in Greg Joseph, a 32-year-old vet who last kicked in 2018 but did some punting in 2023. Then there was Younghoe Koo, who just wrapped up a stint with the Giants in 2025 and even kicked for Raheem Morris back when Morris was with the Falcons from 2018 through early 2025. You gotta wonder if those tryouts were just a smokescreen, right?
After all that, the team didn’t pull the trigger on anyone! This means they are straight-up *confident* Eddy Pineiro is good to go for Sunday’s home opener against the Miami Dolphins. Imagine the stress for the coaching staff, waiting on this. It shows some serious trust in Pineiro’s recovery, or maybe a massive gamble on the first game of the season. Either way, the drama is settled, for now.
Brutal Fines Hit Hard
And speaking of headaches, the NFL’s fine department was busy again this week, and the 49ers got hit. Jake Tonges, man, you gotta feel for him. He got slapped with a $9,266 fine for a leg-whip block. But the real gut punch? That block, where he left his feet to try and cut Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett, is the exact play where Tonges blew out his right knee for the season. A season-ender and a fine? That’s just brutal, adding insult to a career-altering injury.
Tonges wasn’t the only one lighter in the wallet. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk got dinged for $20,033. His fine was for unnecessary roughness, specifically for illegal use of his helmet on the very first play of the second half. Not exactly the kind of start you want for the second half of a game, especially when the league is cracking down on those helmet hits. These aren’t small change for these guys, and it’s a stark reminder of how quickly things can go sideways in this league, both on the field and in the bank account.
So, going into Sunday’s home opener against the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers are rolling with their guy Pineiro, hoping that illness is truly behind him. They also have two players a lot lighter in the wallet thanks to those fines. Early season games set the tone, and every kick, every hit, every single play matters. Can they shake off this pre-game drama and come out firing? We’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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