The 49ers’ Jake Moody Problem Isn’t Going Away

As ridiculous as it sounds, Jake Moody is slated to enter Week 1 as the San Francisco 49ers’ kicker. This comes after a dreadful 2024 campaign in which he hit just 70.6% of his field goal attempts.

His struggles left many believing the 49ers would make a switch in the offseason. But with less than two weeks until the start of the season, Moody remains the lone kicker on the roster.

The 49ers briefly brought in veteran Greg Joseph to compete with Moody, but released him on August 4th.

That leaves San Francisco with a major question mark at one of football’s most unforgiving positions.

High Draft Price Puts Spotlight on Moody

The 49ers selected Moody 99th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making him one of only five kickers since 2000 to be selected in the first three rounds. It was a steep price at the time, and the 49ers have yet to see it pay off.

Drafting kickers that high is rare and often frowned upon. A player like Sebastian Janikowski, who was taken in the first round by the Raiders back in 2000, ended up being a gem in Oakland for 17 seasons. More often, though, reaching for a kicker is a gamble that leaves front offices open to scrutiny if the player doesn’t justify the investment.

The 49ers are feeling that heat now and are compounding their mistake by keeping Moody on the roster. If his struggles continue early into the season, the criticism will be deafening for the organization.

Consistency and Confidence Remain the Issue

Moody has tremendous upside, which he showed this preseason by nailing a 59-yard game-winning field goal against the Raiders. Talent has never been the issue.

The problem is consistency, which stems from his confidence. In preseason, with lighter stakes—having overtime as a safety net on a 59-yard attempt where a miss is excusable—he delivered.

But when the pressure ramps up, he’s shown it can rattle him, and the 49ers worry he can’t convert routine kicks. That’s always been the concern.