The Chicago Bears will start Eddy Pineiro as the team's kicker for the season opener against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, coach Matt Nagy said on Sunday.
Pineiro, 23, won the job over former Alliance of American Football kicker Elliott Fry, who was released by the Bears two weeks ago.
The Bears kept Pineiro on the initial 53-man roster and Pineiro passed through waivers on Sunday without choosing an alternative.
"He deserves it," Nagy said. "He earned every right to be our kicker."
The Bears had been looking for a kicker since cutting Cody Parkey following his ''double-doink'' field goal miss of 43 yards in their 16–15 playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.