Coach Matt Nagy stated after the Bears' loss to the Rams on Sunday that his team wouldn't bring in competition for Pineiro, who missed two field-goal attempts in the 17-7 setback and is 12-for-17 this season. The Bears backed Nagy's statement up by not bringing in kickers for tryouts this week.
Instead, they're supporting Pineiro with the hopes he can respond.
"He’s a young kicker," Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. "He’s in a little bit of a rut, and our job is to get him back in a groove. There’s a difference between a rut and a groove, and that’s what we’re working on."
Pineiro was 21-of-23 on field-goal attempts inside Soldier Field on Wednesday, Tabor said. The 24-year-old Pineiro missed from 48 and 47 yards out during the first quarter Sunday. He later hit an extra-point kick. Pineiro's struggles began during a loss to the Chargers on Oct. 27, when he missed a game-winning field-goal attempt as time expired.
"He’s competitive," Nagy said. "He wants another opportunity, and he’s going to get it."
The Bears committed to Pineiro as their kicker after an exhaustive search this offseason to replace Cody Parkey, who was released in March just one season into a four-year deal. The team's hope was for Pineiro to be the long-term answer at kicker.
"Really, I understand the narrative going in," Tabor said. "I really do. And it's been quiet for a real long time, and it reared its head on Sunday. Our job is to help him in this little dip right here to shoot right out of it quickly.
"It's a production-based business. You need to make kicks."