The San Francisco 49ers found their replacement for injured kicker Eddy Pineiro.
After a five-player workout Wednesday, the club is set to add 31-year-old veteran Matt Gay to their practice squad according to multiple reports. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero was first on the report.
Gay was released by the Washington Commanders on Monday after missing a pair of kicks in Washington’s 16-13 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid. The pair of missed field goals were the final straw for a struggling Commanders club that saw Gay miss six kicks in 10 games.
While Gay’s performance wasn’t stellar, it is worth noting that five of his six misses came from beyond 50 yards. He was a perfect five-for-five from 40-49 yards and two-for-three from 30-39 yards.
He was part of a five-player workout that also featured Tanner Brown, John Parker Romo, Anders Carlson and Cade York.
With Pineiro working through a Grade 1 hamstring injury the 49ers won’t have to use an active roster spot on his replacement. Gay will be on the practice squad where he’ll be allowed three gameday elevations. Even if Pineiro misses three weeks, the next week is a bye. Chances are Pineiro won’t need five weeks, but that’s the timeframe the 49ers have to work with before needing to go so far as to add another kicker to their active roster.
Gay has been in the NFL for seven seasons and kicked in 100 games. He’s 178-212 (84 percent) on field goal tries with a career long of 58 yards. He also hit 96.6 percent of his 236 extra point tries.
San Francisco has Tuesday and Wednesday off. They’ll begin on-field preparations for a Monday night showdown with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Report: 49ers adding kicker who was recently released by Commanders for 2 missed kicks
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
