The San Francisco 49ers are preparing a contingency at kicker after Eddy Piñeiro missed all three practices this week with an illness and was listed questionable for Sunday’s Week 2 home game against the Miami Dolphins.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that San Francisco plans to add another kicker to the practice squad on Saturday in case Piñeiro is not healthy enough to play. The 49ers were deciding between two options as of Friday afternoon, turning what began as a midweek illness into a roster decision that could affect the game-day operation.
Piñeiro missed the entire practice week
Piñeiro did not participate Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. San Francisco still gave him a questionable designation rather than ruling him out, which leaves open the possibility that he improves enough to handle the kicking duties Sunday.
The practice trend nevertheless forced the 49ers to build a backup plan. A kicker is different from most injury replacements because the roster cannot simply redistribute a few snaps if the starter is unavailable. Field goals, extra points and kickoffs all require a specialist, so San Francisco needs an active alternative ready before the inactives deadline.
Shanahan said the club expects to sign a kicker to the practice squad as insurance. That move would allow the 49ers to elevate the new addition for the game if Piñeiro cannot go without committing to a longer-term roster change.
The Saturday transaction will matter
The next significant update should come through San Francisco’s Saturday roster moves. If the 49ers sign a kicker, the identity of that player will offer the clearest indication of how the team is preparing for the possibility of playing without Piñeiro.
A practice-squad signing would not automatically mean Piñeiro is out. It would give San Francisco a specialist who can travel through the final preparation period, learn the operation with the holder and long snapper, and be available for a standard game-day elevation if needed.
That distinction matters because the 49ers can keep evaluating Piñeiro through Sunday morning. If he improves, the emergency option can remain on the practice squad. If he does not, San Francisco can activate the replacement and avoid entering kickoff without a conventional kicking plan.
Kaelon Black is also questionable
The final report included another offensive uncertainty. Rookie running back Kaelon Black is questionable with a groin issue after being limited Thursday and Friday.
Black’s status creates a different type of depth question. The 49ers can spread running-back snaps among their other backs if he is inactive, but his availability still matters for a team coming off a Week 1 win and preparing for a Miami Dolphins defense that will also be missing personnel.
San Francisco has more flexibility at running back than it does at kicker, which is why Piñeiro’s illness is likely to trigger an actual roster addition even though both players carry the same questionable designation.
De’Zhaun Stribling is officially out
Wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling will not play after undergoing ankle surgery earlier this week. Shanahan said the rookie is expected to miss roughly 10 weeks, although the team remains optimistic that he can return later this season.
That is a materially clearer timeline than San Francisco had when the injury first developed. FSN previously reported that Stribling was headed to injured reserve while the 49ers were still evaluating whether surgery would be necessary. The procedure has now taken place, and the expected absence extends well beyond the four-game minimum attached to injured reserve.
Stribling’s situation also gives San Francisco a roster mechanism to work with as it handles the kicking contingency. The 49ers already knew they would need to carry the rookie receiver through a longer recovery period, so the broader roster picture is being adjusted around multiple short-term needs at once.
Why the kicker question matters against Miami
Special-teams uncertainty can change game management even before a kick is attempted. If a replacement kicker is active with only a brief preparation window, the 49ers may have to make decisions about long field-goal attempts, fourth downs and kickoffs with less certainty than usual.
That does not mean San Francisco will change its strategy automatically. It means the coaching staff needs a clear answer before kickoff about who is handling each responsibility and what ranges the staff is comfortable using.
The Dolphins game is San Francisco’s home opener, and the 49ers would prefer not to let a late-week specialist issue become an avoidable game-day problem. Signing an insurance option Saturday is the straightforward way to prevent that.
What to watch next
The first checkpoint is Saturday’s transaction wire. San Francisco has already said it intends to add a kicker, so the signing should clarify who is next in line if Piñeiro remains unavailable.
The second is Sunday’s inactive list. Piñeiro’s questionable designation gives him a path to play, but his absence from the entire practice week means the 49ers cannot assume that will happen.
For now, San Francisco is treating the situation as a contingency rather than a confirmed replacement. Piñeiro has not been ruled out, but the 49ers are making sure they will not be caught without a specialist if the illness lingers into Sunday.
Sources
- San Francisco 49ers: Final Week 2 injury report vs. Dolphins (September 18, 2026)
- NBC Sports: Eddy Piñeiro questionable with illness (September 18, 2026)
- NBC Sports Bay Area: 49ers prepare kicker contingency (September 18, 2026)