49ers Weigh 4 Position Changes During Bye After 29-20 Loss

Q: Will a sudden kicking crisis force the division leaders to make a drastic roster move during their bye week?

Yes — the 49ers look likely to at least seriously explore a kicking change during the bye, though whether they actually cut Eddy Piñeiro is less certain. The urgency is real. Piñeiro’s latest missed extra point in the 29-20 loss at Atlanta was his seventh missed kick in seven games, including four missed PATs. That is the part of his profile most troubling to San Francisco: his field-goal misses have mostly come from long range, but extra-point failures are harder to excuse for a contender expecting close playoff games. Kyle Shanahan did not offer a public endorsement afterward, saying only that the team would discuss the situation, which strongly suggests workouts are on the table. The bye week gives San Francisco the cleanest possible window to act. A new kicker would have extra time to work with the snapper and holder before the next game. That matters for a team still leading its division and trying to stabilize obvious trouble spots without rushing a decision after one loss. Still, a drastic move is not automatic. Piñeiro was excellent last season, which is why the 49ers extended him, and cutting him now would carry a notable dead-cap cost. San Francisco has enough cap room to absorb that hit, but it is still a meaningful price for a team with other roster needs, including pass rush and corner depth. So the most likely outcome is this: the 49ers bring in kickers for a tryout during the bye, and Piñeiro’s job becomes genuinely vulnerable.

Q: Can an unproven rookie permanently steal the spotlight and fix a glaring defensive weakness for a championship contender?

Yes, but it is too early to say Ephesians Prysock has done that yet. San Francisco’s clearest defensive weakness coming out of the Falcons loss was the No. 3 outside corner spot. Jack Jones’ penalties helped extend a key Atlanta touchdown drive, and Kyle Shanahan made an in-game switch to Prysock out of visible frustration. That matters: the move was not scripted, which suggests the staff was willing to test the rookie in a meaningful moment rather than simply protect a veteran. There are reasons to think Prysock can help. He had a strong preseason, including a red-zone breakup, and coaches have praised his size, length and “sticky” coverage. At 6-foot-3 with unusually long arms for the position, he offers traits the 49ers do not otherwise have in that role. On a defense that depends heavily on disruption up front, a longer corner who can survive on the outside has real value. But “permanently” is the key word. One benching of Jones does not settle the job, and one rookie appearance does not prove the weakness is fixed. The larger issue is that San Francisco’s secondary is tied closely to its pass rush, which disappeared against Atlanta. If Nick Bosa returns after the bye and the 49ers add help on the defensive line, any corner’s job becomes easier. So Prysock has a real opening, and perhaps the best chance yet to seize it. But for a contender with Super Bowl ambitions, he still has to show he can handle that role week after week before anyone can say he has truly solved it.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 25

San Francisco heads into its bye considering roster moves at kicker, cornerback, receiver and possibly defensive line, even after a 29-20 loss in Atlanta that left it atop the division.
Eddy Pineiro is under the brightest spotlight after missing his fourth extra point of the season; the kicker who signed a four-year, $17 million extension has also missed three field goals.
At cornerback, Jack Jones was benched for rookie Ephesians Prysock after holding and pass-interference penalties, while receiver depth could tighten when Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson return.
The defensive front also emerged as a trade target after producing 0 sacks and just 2 pressures against Michael Penix Jr., with DeForest Buckner, Khalil Mack, Josh Sweat and Daron Payne among names linked.