The Bears are down to one kicker after waiving Elliott Fry on Sunday.
The team wanted to give Eddy Pineiro more kicks in practices and games over the next two weeks, coach Matt Nagy said Sunday. Each kicker had four tries over the first two preseason games — though two of Fry’s attempts were extra points.
There’s no guarantee that Pineiro will be the Bears’ Week 1 starter; the Bears figure to look at NFL kickers, both via the trade market and waiver wire.
“The next two games will be great for him to get out there and get some reps. ...” coach Matt Nagy said. “For right now we feel good where he’s at.”
Pineiro said the Bears “got us on thin ice” given their kicker woes. He reiterated Sunday that he hadn’t won the job yet.
“If I don’t make kicks I’m going to be gone, like anyone else,” he said.
After going 1-for-2 in the preseason opener, Pineiro made kicks of 27 and 41 yards Friday night against the Giants. Fry, who made his only field goal attempt in the opener, missed his try attempt Friday when he hooked a 47-yarder left. Fry made an extra point in each exhibition game.
“You’re splitting reps — it’s definitely frustrating but it’s not anything anyone can control,” Fry said after the game. “We’ve both gotten four kicks; that’s eight kicks in two games. That’s probably pretty standard; it may feel like less because we’re splitting them.”
With Fry gone, the Bears are down to zero players who were part of their infamous nine-player kicker derby during rookie minicamp. The Bears were unimpressed enough with those kickers that they traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Raiders for Pineiro the day after camp ended.
