The San Francisco 49ers made their long-anticipated move at kicker this week, parting ways with former third-round pick Jake Moody and signing veteran Eddy Piñeiro. But as Piñeiro revealed Wednesday, the Niners were close to missing out on their new leg entirely.

“It’s been a crazy week,” Piñeiro told reporters after signing. “I was supposed to leave to Atlanta yesterday until I got the call to come over here, and I took the opportunity and didn’t look back.”

Piñeiro said he chose San Francisco over the Falcons because of the franchise’s culture and championship aspirations. “I want to win games. I want to be a part of a good culture and in my eighth year of my career, I want to win,” he said. The choice makes sense—since 2019, Piñeiro has carved out a reputation as one of the

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