Former Super Bowl champion Matt Gay has already found his next NFL team after being brutally cut by the Washington Commanders following last weekend’s defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid.

The Commanders slipped to a sixth consecutive defeat, with Gay missing a pair of 50-plus-yard field goals in the 16-13 affair with the Dolphins. After the game, Gay took responsibility for the Jayden Daniels-less Commanders’ defeat in Europe. “This game is 100 percent on me,” Gay said. “Got to make it. Cannot miss that kick… That’s on me. We win that game if that kick goes in.”

Shortly after Gay took responsibility, the kicker was cut by the Commanders. The NFL franchise decided to move on from Gay, who won the 2021 Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

However, it didn’t take Gay long to find his next landing spot. The San Francisco 49ers added Gay to their practice squad after releasing wide receiver Russell Gage Jr. The 49ers had kickers Anders Carlson, John Parker Romo, Tanner Brown, and Cade York in for tryouts before signing Gay.

Gay will bring valuable veteran experience as the 49ers look to secure a playoff birth after missing out last season following their Super Bowl defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas in 2024. The kicker has played in 100 career games split among the Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and Indianapolis Colts, making 84 percent of his 212 career field goal attempts.

The 49ers signed Gay as they are unsure how long kicker Eddy Pineiro will be out with a right hamstring injury. Washington replaced Gay with Jake Moody, who was released by the 49ers in Week 2 to sign Pineiro.

Earlier this week, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn explained the decision to release Gay. “Matt has been a fantastic teammate here and like an all-time good dude,” Quinn said. “So yeah, really bummed that it didn’t work out.

“But, yeah, we just felt, ‘Hey, this is the change that we needed.’ And I just kind of make all decisions, ‘Hey, this is what we think at this time is the best decisions for the team.’

“When they’re hard like this one because of who the person is. It makes it especially difficult, but you still have to make decisions you think are best for the whole team.”

Quinn is searching for the answer to Washington’s problems without their franchise quarterback, Daniels. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has suffered from injuries in 2025, hampering his participation and forcing backup Marcus Mariota onto the field.

The Commanders will now enjoy a bye week and aren’t due to play until the last day of November against the Denver Broncos. “I felt a good energy about our team yesterday, in having a lead for the first time and what felt like maybe forever brought some of that,” Quinn said.

“But I wanted them to know this is all there for us to go do, capable plays, complimentary football, and we’re going to work really hard at it and there’s going be a lot that we can battle through together.”