Eddy

Pineiro

Matthew Wright is expected to kick for Carolina in the regular season finale. He won’t be a fantasy option for those grinding the waiver wire in Week 18 championships.

Pineiro suffered the injury in Week 17. Matthew Wright will be called up from the practice squad to close out the season as Carolina’s kicker. Kicking for the worst offense in the league, Wright is not on the fantasy radar for Week 18.

Pineiro allegedly woke up with a tight hamstring and tried to kick during warm-ups and was unable to. As a result, the Panthers have LB Kamu Grugier-Hill is now handling kick-offs for Carolina with the team so far electing to go for it on fourth downs rather than kick field goals.

Pineiro hasn’t kicked this preseason due to his injury, but Reich seems optimistic about his return, saying there’s a chance he gets on the field in the final preseason game against the Lions. The Panthers signed Pineiro to a two-year deal this offseason after he converted 33-of-35 field goal attempts last season.

Signed to replace an injured Zane Gonzalez last August, ex-Bear and Jet Pineiro went on to convert 33-of-35 field goal attempts. Pineiro doesn’t have the biggest leg — he has only five career makes beyond 50 yards — but his overall accuracy makes him a fine option for the rebuilding Panthers.

Gonzalez suffered a season-ending groin injury last preseason. Eddy Pineiro took over as Carolina’s kicker and converted 33 of his 35 field goal tries and 30 of his 32 extra point attempts. Carolina had Gonzalez under contract for around $2 million for 2023. In 2021, Gonzalez -- who entered the league in 2017 -- made 20 of 22 field goals for the Panthers. Pineiro will surely catch on with another team this offseason.

Pinero replaces Zane Gonzalez (core), who was placed on season-ending IR. The 28-year-old former Jets kicker has ties to special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, overlapping in Chicago in 2019. Pinero converted all eight of his field goals and 90% of extra points in five games with New York last year.

So is fellow kicker Brian Johnson. The Panthers are looking to replace Zane Gonzalez, who suffered a significant groin injury in the final week of the preseason and may wind up on IR. Both kickers have ties to Carolina’s special teams coordinator, Chris Tabor.

Greg Zuerlein has won the Jets’ kicking job, at least for now, after the two were in a competition this summer. Pineiro kicked in five games for the Jets last season, nailing all eight of his field goals and 9-of-10 extra points. Zuerlein was the Cowboys’ kicker the last two seasons after eight with the Rams.

The Jets extended a right of first refusal tender to Pineiro at the start of free agency. He hit all eight of his field goal tries with the Jets last year. They also added Greg Zuerlein to the mix two days ago. It looks like a kicking competition will take place in New York this summer. The outcome won’t have any impact on fantasy drafts as neither kicker projects for usable numbers while under the thumb of New York’s dreadful offense.