49ers Make Decision On Jake Moody After Disastrous Monday Night Performance
12/31/2024 02:42 PM
San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody legitimately cost his team a chance at upsetting the Detroit Lions on Monday night, missing a pair of field goals and an extra point attempt. Fans at Levi's Stadium were so heated that he was showered with boos as he left the field.
With the 49ers out of playoff contention and the season pretty much over, Moody's disastrous performance didn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things. That being said, his sophomore slump is too concerning to ignore. The former third-round pick from Michigan has made just 23-of-32 field goal attempts this season. For comparison's sake, he made 21-of-25 attempts as a rookie in 2024.
Despite how bad Moody has been of late, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan isn't ready to make a change at kicker.
When asked Tuesday if Moody will suit up for the team's regular-season finale, Shanahan replied, "He's going to kick this week."
It's not a really a surprise to see Shanahan defend Moody yet again. Just a week ago, he expressed confidence in the second-year kicker despite a costly missed field goal against the Miami Dolphins.
"I still feel the same about him, that I believe he is going to be our guy," Shanahan said after Week 16. "Everyone has got to perform and do things like that and I think he has had a tough year. ... I thought he was doing really well and then had a high ankle sprain to his kicking foot. Since he's come back, he hasn't been as consistent, obviously. But I think a lot of that probably has to do with that, just common-sense wise."
Moody has made only 10-of-18 field goal attempts since returning from his ankle injury. That's fairly important information considering he was 13-of-14 prior to going down.
It's very possible the 49ers' regular-season finale will be Moody's last chance to keep his job. If he has another lousy showing, there's just no way the team can bring him back for the 2025 season.
The 49ers will face the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m ET.
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