5 former Chicago Bears who still need a team in 2021

Eddy Pineiro will no longer kick for the Chicago Bears, will he at all in 2021?

When the Chicago Bears struggled to find a kicker over the last few years, Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy thought it would be best to hold their own version of a kicking camp. The team brought in a large group of options and ran them through a kicking gauntlet, eliminating players as the camp continued.

Eventually, it came down to two options. Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry. Pineiro was the guy with the more powerful leg, but slightly less accuracy. Fry did not have the strongest of legs but was said to be more accurate. Pineiro won the job though and had a strong first season for the Bears in 2021. The thing is, the bar was not set very high after the Cody Parkey debacle.

Last season, Pineiro was put on injured reserve and never returned thanks to the kicking prowess of Cairo Santos. Santos has been re-signed by the Chicago Bears this offseason while Pineiro was shown the door. Going back to 2020, I would not be shocked if he lands with another team at some point — even if not to start the year. During his only season, Pineiro proved himself useful with an 82.1% field goal percentage. At only 25 years old, it’s only a matter of time before he is signed elsewhere.