CHICAGO _ The Chicago Bears placed kicker Eddy Pineiro on injured reserve Tuesday with a groin injury.
Pineiro battled the injury most of training camp, and the Bears brought in kicker Cairo Santos as a possible replacement in case Pineiro didn't recover in time for Week 1.
Santos signed on to be a part of the Bears 16-player practice squad and now very well could be promoted to kick in the opener Sunday against the Lions in Detroit.
The Bears were excited about what Pineiro could do in his second season in the NFL after he added weight and strength in the offseason. Pineiro made 23 of 28 field-goal attempts and 27 of 29 extra-point attempts as a rookie in 2019.
Now, Pineiro will have to wait at least three weeks before he can return from injured reserve, which has shortened restrictions this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams may also bring back as many players as they want from IR.
The Bears also signed defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. on Tuesday to take Pineiro's roster spot. Edwards is a sixth-year NFL veteran who had three sacks and a forced fumble last year with the Saints.
