John Lynch: 49ers still believe in Jake Moody despite struggles

While many San Francisco 49ers fans have lost faith in Jake Moody's consistency on field goals, the organization insists it still believes in its third-year kicker. That confidence was reflected in the team's decision to keep him on the 53-man roster—either as a show of support or because the 49ers didn't see a better option among recently released kickers.

Moody endured a rough 2024 season, missing 10 field goal attempts and one extra point. His inconsistency carried into the preseason, raising questions about his reliability heading into Week 1.

General manager John Lynch addressed the topic with reporters on Wednesday, evaluating Moody's progress and preseason performance.

"I think it was an excellent competition between him and [Greg] Joseph," Lynch said. "[Head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] spoke to it—we didn't want that competition to end."

That competition ended sooner than expected, however, as mounting roster injuries forced San Francisco to part ways with Joseph.

"But anyone who says it wasn't a competition, I don't really agree," Lynch added. "I think the coaches, the special teams coaches, are always charting everything, so you see what you see in front of everyone, and then they're doing things to the side. And Jake had a really good preseason."

There were still ups and downs. Moody nailed a clutch 59-yard game-winner against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing an earlier attempt. But in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, he missed the extra point following the 49ers' first touchdown, and later, sent a kickoff out of bounds, gifting the Chargers the ball at their own 40-yard line.

"I found it interesting, after having a hell of a game in Las Vegas, that a lot of people still have questions," Lynch said. "And I guess that, when you had a season like he did last year, those things are going to be there until you put that away.

"We've got a lot of belief in him and understand that last year was rough, but that happens in guys' careers, and our confidence and belief in him is what we see out here. But I will say, everything's earned in this league, and everyone's got to go prove it each and every game, each and every year, and so, Jake understands that."