NFL players skipping minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs) amid contract disputes are sure to make news, especially when a star like Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson doesn’t show up.
Other players whose OTA presence is in question include San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb and Cincinnati Bengals pass-catcher Tee Higgins.
But how often does a kicker stay away from OTAs while looking for a new contract? The Carolina Panthers face that situation with Eddy Pineiro, who was absent from the team’s practice on Monday.
The 28-year-old Pineiro signs for the 2024/25 season, the last year of the two-year contract he signed with Carolina in 2023. However, he is looking for a raise above the $2.5 million he is due. In average annual salary, that figure puts him 21st among NFL kickers.
Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens and Jake Elliott of the Philadelphia Eagles are the highest-paid players in the league, averaging $6 million per season, according to Over the Cap.
Pineiro has made 89% of his career kicks, the third-highest rate among kickers with at least 100 attempts in NFL history. (Only Tucker and Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs were better.) Last season, the fourth-year pro made 25 of 29 punts, going 56 yards. That ranked 17th in the league, a figure that Pineiro may not bring to the negotiating table.
New Panthers head coach Dave Canales was asked about Pineiro’s absence and said he has not spoken to the kicker. Pineiro also did not attend the Panthers’ minicamp earlier this offseason.
“We’re just focusing on the guys we have,” Canales said. “I’m glad we have Harrison Mevis here so we can actually go through our field goal/field goal block period. We’re just focusing on the guys that are here, and I’m sure Eddy has a plan for this whole period.” thing.”
Canales’ mention of Mevis shows the risk Pineiro could be taking by skipping OTAs. The 6-foot-1, 243-pound “Thiccer Kicker” is Missouri’s all-time leader with 405 points, converting 78.3% of his kicks and 147 of 148 extra points for the Tigers. He holds the SEC record for longest field goal with the 61-yarder he hit to beat Kansas State last season.
Panthers punter Johnny Hekker, the placeholder for Pineiro’s kicks, had no problem with his teammate’s absence.
“He has a brother who is going into his senior year of high school, and he wants to help him train there,” Hekker told Joe Person of The Athletic. “Eddy is training with himself and his father, training with a few other kickers. I trust that he is a professional and does things the right way, so when he shows up again he will be ready to hit the ground running. “
