Chicago Bears: Kickers must be consistent as pressure mounts
By Usayd Koshul
As the Chicago Bears continue their search for a kicker, Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro must be consistent.
Going into Chicago Bears training camp, the biggest thing that was on most fans mind was who would the next kicker be? After a rough start to OTA’s and minicamp, where the Bears signed a plethora of kickers, the Bears opted to go into training camp with Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro on the roster.
Through four days in camp, Fry and Pineiro have impressed so far. However, now the pressure will ramp up as the first wave of cuts approaches. At this point, the kicking competition seems to be dead even. There’s no knowing who’s going win the job. Do you go with the guy who has a big leg in Pineiro or the guy who’s got some experience in a professional league in Fry? It’s really tough to tell at this point because it all comes down to what attributes the Bears want their kicker to have.
On Monday during practice, Fry would hit eight of his ten field goal attempts. Since the Bears won’t host another open practice till this weekend, it’s unclear how Pineiro will do in his second day kicking at camp.
Elliott Fry went 6 of 8 in the kicking drill. Missed from 39 and 51. He slipped on the 51 yard attempt. But also drilled another 51 yarder. He’s now 8 of 10 on the day. #Bears
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 29, 2019
The Bears need to figure the kicking position out. This is the deepest roster that this team has had in decades and it would be one of the lowest moments in franchise history of the kicker position hurts this team again in 2019.
The reality is that whoever can take their consistency to another level is who should win the job. The advantage of having younger guys like Fry and Pineiro is that the Bears are trying to find a kicker that will be part of the team for the next decade.
With about two weeks to go in training camp, the Bears cannot afford to take it easy on their kickers. The momentum is strong right now, however, the team needs to continue to build on it. Just because Fry and Pineiro have had a few good practices, doesn’t’ mean that they deserve leighway.
Next. Chicago Bears: Kickers already impressing in training camp. dark
The Bears have had all offseason to evaluate and figure the kicking position out. Knowing that Fry and Pineiro are doing well in practice should give fans a vote of confidence. However, one thing that cannot be forgotten is the fact that this is still practice and both these kickers will really be evaluated based on how they perform in games.