49ers' Jake Moody Makes Move to Fix 'Unacceptable' Performance

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody is pulling out all the stops to make sure his performance at the end of last season does not carry over into the next one.

The former third-round pick in 2023 was an 84% (21-25) marksman on field goals as a rookie, but his sophomore season featured a slump he is not proud of.

Last season, Moody finished ranked 33rd among all NFL kickers (minimum 10 attempts) making just 70.6% (24-34) of his field goal attempts.

In his defense, he started 13-of-14 before dealing with an ankle injury that resulted in a shaky return. The Michigan product was a worrisome 11-of-20 on field goals in the last nine games of the year.

“It’s unacceptable to be kicking the way I was the second half of the year,” Moody told The Athletic.

The Niners mitigated this concern by signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph in free agency, but Moody already has all the motivation he needs heading into next season.

Moody has been working out with kicking coach Brandon Kornblue and the pair has made a meticulous change to Moody's kicking approach: he will now take just two steps to the ball rather than three.

The slight tweak, Moody hopes, will eliminate extra room for error and lead to more makes.

“It’s been going great,” he said about the adjustment. “Obviously, when you have been doing something since the sixth grade, it was definitely challenging at the start. I had to keep telling myself to stick with it.”

“The goal is more consistency because at the end of the day, that’s what keeps you in the NFL,” he added.

Kicking may favor mental stability more than physical ability at times, but Moody believes this change to his motion will improve both facets.

“I don’t know if I lost any confidence, but stuff always creeps into your head, especially after missing a bunch of kicks.

“But those kicks are irrelevant now. It’s in the past, and I like to have a one-kick mentality, as in the next kick. Right now, I’ve been kicking the ball really well, so I feel like I’m in a good headspace.”

The 49ers may turn to Moody in crucial spots next season as the team aims to bounce back from a disappointing 6-11 record.