Nick Wagoner, NFL reporter for ESPN recently tweeted that the San Francisco 49ers have signed kicker Matt Gay to their practice squad. This decision has been made preemptively, in light of injury concerns with their current kicker, Eddy Piñeiro. Piñeiro is dealing with a grade 1 hamstring strain in his right kicking leg, which has raised questions about his availability for upcoming games.
Since 2016, Wagoner has been all over the San Francisco 49ers. They’ve delivered profound foresight to the team’s biggest breakthroughs—most notably their back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2019 and 2023. For one, he’s got more than a decade’s worth of NFL experience. For 12 seasons, he covered the St. Louis Rams. He has a tremendous understanding of key moments in history. This extends all the way to Colin Kaepernick’s protest and the NFL’s painful drafting of Michael Sam, the league’s first ever openly gay player.
Playing in the 49ers’ bye week Thursday night was kicker Matt Gay, who was signed off the street after being released by Washington earlier this season. He’s the first player to play 100 career games for each of the three teams. These teams are the Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts. After a year spent in Washington, Gay proved his dependability, converting 13-of-19 field goals. He hit 22-of-22 on extra points in ten games played.
The coaching staff has made the decision to add Gay to the roster. In Piñeiro’s absence, they are hoping to bolster their special teams unit. The 49ers organization is serious about maintaining their competitive advantage. So it’s no surprise that they’re hitting their stride as they navigate an important stretch of their season.
Wagoner’s reporting really digs deep into the Rams’ relocation and stadium saga. As the show’s lead writer/executive producer/director, he’s no stranger to creating in-depth looks at significant franchise developments. His work has always pulled back the curtain for fans, allowing insight into not only what’s happening on the field, but what’s impacting teams off of it.
Leave a Reply