The Chicago Bears started rookie minicamp with eight kickers, and now after two preseason games, that has dwindled to one.
The Bears have waived kicker Elliott Fry, which essentially ends the kicker competition between him and Eddy Pineiro.
With Fry’s release, is the competition over?
“Between [Pineiro and Fry], yeah,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said on Sunday.
Nagy said that the Bears feel good about where Pineiro is at right now, but they’ll continue to keep their options open.
“We’re always going to keep that thing open,” Nagy said.
As for the timing of Fry’s release, Nagy pointed to the fact that there are limited opportunities for kicks in the preseason, and keeping two kickers at this point prevents either from getting into a rhythm.
“The next two games will be great for [Pineiro] to get out there and get some reps,” Nagy said.
Nagy stressed the importance of kicks in the preseason. After going 1-for-2 against the Panthers, Pineiro was a perfect 2-for-2 with kicks of 27 and 41 yards on Friday against the Giants.
Fry made his only field goal try in the preseason opener — from 43 yards — but missed his only attempt — a 47-yarder that was wide left — against the Giants. He made an extra point in both games.
Essentially, Pineiro hasn’t won the job yet, but the Bears knew Fry wasn’t going to be the winner.
While Nagy would like for Pineiro to be the guy come the Sept. 5 opener against the Packers, there’s no guarantee that he will be.
