With preseason kicking off, NFL teams are putting out their “official” depth charts, which often lead to coaches getting aggravated by questions about why one player is listed ahead of another. The Bears have found a way around that in their kicking competition.
On the Bears’ official depth chart, kickers Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro are both listed as first string. At every other position, one player is listed as first string and another player is listed as second string, but at kicker, the Bears won’t acknowledge anyone as the leader.
Bears coach Matt Nagy has been coy about what he’ll end up doing at the kicking position, and it appears that the Bears will spend all of the preseason giving both Fry and Pineiro a chance to earn the job. They may also still bring in another kicker, if neither Fry nor Pineiro does enough to win the competition.
Given the way last season ended, with kicker Cody Parkey missing a potentially game-winning field goal in a postseason loss to the Eagles, the Bears know they need to get this one right. They’re not tipping their hands just yet.
