49ers HC Kyle Shanahan didn't mince words on why he cut ties with third-year player

The San Francisco 49ers gave Jake Moody a brief chance in the regular season, but head coach Kyle Shanahan explained Wednesday why he had to cut bait with the 2023 third-round pick after he went 1-of-3 on field-goal attempts against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

"I think, by where it got to, there wasn't that much of a decision," Shanahan said, via 49ers Webzone. "It's always tough with that, especially when you have a talented guy. I have some experience with that in my past."

The 49ers signed veteran kicker Eddy Pineiro this week to replace Moody. Moody struggled in 2024 when he came back from suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 5, finishing the season 24-of-34 (70.6%) on field-goal attempts.

The San Francisco 49ers wish Jake Moody the best

Shanahan believes Moody is talented and has a chance to resurrect his career with another team, but he suggested he's not where he needs to be mentally.

"He wasn't kicking the ball well enough, and it was way too inconsistent," Shanahan said. "So, once that happens, and when your stroke in golf is changing all the time, and you're trying to fix things, trying not to miss, it's very hard to succeed at this level that way. There wasn't anything I had to beat around the bush on. He knew that.

"And to a degree, I think this will give him a chance to move on, and hopefully, find a place where he can get a swag back in that way."

Moody showed he was a talented player in his rookie season when he went 21-of-25 (84%) on field-goal attempts, making the PFWA All-Rookie Team. However, he got into a funk after the injury that he was never able to correct, and the 49ers need a consistent kicker, especially given injury concerns on offense right now. Every point will be precious.