The struggles of San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody nearly cost the team in their Week 1 season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. And it seems as if 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t willing to risk the possibility of another poor performance from Moody in the future, potentially contributing to a loss later on in the season.
Moody came to the NFL with a lot of hype after standing out at the University of Michigan, making 82 percent of his kicks over the course of his collegiate career, which resulted in the 49ers selecting Moody with a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Very few kickers end up getting selected in the NFL Draft, much less with a third-round pick. Thus far, Moody’s NFL career has been an example of why it is rather risky to draft a kicker.
Jake Moody #4 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during the NFL 2025 game between San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.
Jake Moody #4 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during the NFL 2025 game between San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
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After a strong rookie season with the 49ers in 2023, where he made 84 percent of his kicks, Moody experienced significant regression in 2024, making just over 70 percent of his kicks.
Unfortunately, Moody’s inconsistencies reared their ugly head in Week 1 of the 2025 season, making just one of his three field goal attempts, with one being blocked by a Seahawks player.
After Sunday’s game, Kyle Shanahan reassured Moody that his role as the 49ers kicker was not in question heading into Week 2, saying there was “no question” as to who the right man for the job was.
Unfortunately for Moody, it seems as if the 49ers organization has had a change of heart on the matter. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the 49ers have made the decision to waive Moody.
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It’s unclear what could have changed in less than 48 hours that could have made Shanahan go from firmly naming Moody the starting kicker to him no longer being on the team.
Maybe 49ers GM and President of Football Operations John Lynch had a different opinion on Moody and convinced Shanahan that letting Moody go was the right move. But regardless, Moody will now look for opportunities elsewhere.
We have seen plenty of kickers thrive on second contracts in the NFL, even after their tenure with their first team didn’t go as planned. So it may be too soon to write off Moody as an NFL-caliber kicker moving forward.
Still, it is certainly quite a fall from grace for Moody after being promised a starting role heading into Week 2 by Shanahan.
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