San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn't going to let a perfect kicking performance stop him from airing a grievance.
After Eddy Pineiro went a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals — including three makes from beyond 50 yards, one of which was a 59-yarder — in San Francisco's 18-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Shanahan couldn't help but revisit a moment earlier in the game that had genuinely annoyed him.
The issue clearly wasn't a missed kick. It was a coin toss decision.
Pineiro elected to defer and kick off to open the second half, a call that clashed with how the 49ers approach preseason football. San Francisco typically opts to receive in exhibition games, giving young players more offensive snaps to evaluate. When Pineiro instead
chose to kick, it threw a wrench in those plans — and Shanahan didn't hide his irritation in the moment.
"I've never been more mad at him than when he chose to defer to the second half," Shanahan said, smiling as he recounted it afterward. "I guess that's definitely my fault — I forgot to tell him we receive in the preseason, but I thought that was understood."
Eddy Pinerio redeemed himself after getting in Kyle Shanahan's doghouse early in tonight's win 😅 pic.twitter.com/IF4OjLvEWY
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 28, 2026
Shanahan said he confronted Pineiro on the sideline, asking him directly what he was thinking. Pineiro's explanation was simple: he wanted the chance to kick off.
"So I was kind of pissed at him at the beginning," Shanahan said, "but he redeemed himself."
Pineiro's six-make outing extended a run of remarkable consistency dating back to last season, when he converted 28-of-29 field-goal attempts for San Francisco. His only miss all year came from 64 yards at the end of the first half in Week 16.
That reliability is why the 49ers moved quickly to keep him. In March, San Francisco signed Pineiro to a four-year, $17 million extension with $10 million guaranteed.
At least now, with the preseason over, Pineiro knows what not to do.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers coach has 'never been more mad' at kicker despite 6 made FGs
