49ers Ready for Dolphins Home Opener After 27-7 Melbourne Win

Q: The 49ers have no backup kicker while Eddy Piñeiro battles an illness; who will step up if he misses Sunday's home opener?

No one on the current roster has been identified as a replacement yet. As of the latest reports, San Francisco does not have a backup kicker on either its active roster or practice squad, so if Eddy Piñeiro cannot recover from his illness in time for Sunday, the 49ers would likely need to sign or elevate an outside kicker on short notice. The team has not announced such a move, and the reporting around Piñeiro’s illness suggests it is not viewed as serious at this stage. He still had several days to recover, which is why the 49ers appeared to be waiting rather than making an immediate roster addition. That makes the most important indicator the remaining practice reports. Piñeiro missed Wednesday and Thursday, and coverage noted that if San Francisco begins working out kickers before the game, that would be the clearest sign his availability is in real doubt. So, for now, there is no in-house answer. Unless the 49ers add a kicker before Sunday, Piñeiro remains the expected option if he is healthy enough to play.

3 articles · Updated · The Mercury News · Sep 16

Five days after a 27-7 season-opening win over the Rams in Melbourne, San Francisco returned to full preparation for Sunday’s home opener against Miami, with players saying jet lag had largely faded by Monday.
Sleep and hydration were the 49ers’ main recovery tools after the 14-hour flight home; players said the expected postgame celebration never materialized because most of the roster slept almost the entire trip.
Wednesday’s participation report brought no major new setbacks: Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, Dre Greenlaw and Trent Williams rested, while George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk and two defensive ends were limited.
Miami is also spending the week away from home, practicing in Napa after a 27-13 loss to Las Vegas as first-year coach Jeff Hafley uses the extended stay to build chemistry on a roster averaging 26.3 years old.