Commanders End Kicker Battle, Reportedly Release Jake Moody

Aug 14, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders placekicker Drew Stevens (19) kicks a field goal against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Commanders End Kicker Battle, Reportedly Release Jake Moody

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Philip Hughes | Last updated Aug 17, 2026 3:20 PM ET

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Multiple sources say the Washington Commanders have released kicker Jake Moody , effectively ending their kicking competition that lasted through the offseason program and the first few weeks of training camp, and declaring Drew Stevens the winner. The team has not made the move official. Moody entered the OTAs as the incumbent and actually held the early advantage in the competition, but the team apparently feels it has seen enough after one preseason game.

Kicking competition is over in DC - Commanders release Jake Moody, per source, and Washington will roll forward with rookie Drew Stevens.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 17, 2026

On August 6, the competition stood at Stevens 28-for-30 compared to Moody's 27-for-30, and I believed that one-kick difference was nowhere near enough to declare a winner. Since that day, Moody's consistency evaporated; he went 2-for-6 in one session, missing four straight from 44, 49, 51, and 55 yards, giving him 11 misses over a four-practice stretch. The final numbers were — Stevens 43-for-48 (89.6%) and Moody 36-for-47 (76.6%).

In Friday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, both kickers converted their only field-goal opportunities and extra points, Moody from 29 yards and Stevens from 41. The big difference was that Moody hit the right upright with a resounding DOINK, while Stevens converted his kick smoothly. Obviously, the front office had their eyes on this matchup long before Friday and decided Stevens had simply been the more consistent kicker.

For Stevens, this is the absolute best outcome he could have imagined after being brought in to push Moody and keep him from getting complacent. Stevens' Iowa records include 76 made field goals and 12 from 50-plus yards, plus a career-long of 58 — evidence that his leg talent was never in question. Now, after forcing this competition closed after one preseason game, Stevens will have to prove he has what it takes to get it done over the course of the grueling 18-Week NFL season.