End of the Competition for the Kicker Position on the 49ers
In an unexpected turn, the competition for the kicker position on the San Francisco 49ers has come to an abrupt conclusion, at least for now. The franchise has decided to dispense with the services of veteran Greg Joseph, clearing the way for Jake Moody, who is entering his third season in the NFL, to consolidate his position. The decision comes at a critical moment, with the 49ers dealing with a series of injuries that have affected several positions on the team during the first few weeks of training camp. Coach Kyle Shanahan explained that, given the circumstances and the number of injured players, it was not viable to keep two kickers on the team.The 49ers selected Moody in the third round of the 2023 draft with high expectations. However, his performance has been inconsistent, especially in the second half of last season. After recovering from an ankle injury, Moody only converted 11 of 20 field goal attempts, placing him 35th in the NFL in field goal percentage among kickers with at least 10 attempts. The arrival of Joseph in May generated the expectation of a close competition. During the practices, both kickers alternated in the attempts, showing a similar performance. Joseph connected 22 of 24 attempts, while Moody hit 21 of 24. Special teams coach Brant Boyer had stated that the competition was very close. However, the team’s circumstances, including multiple injuries in various positions, forced the organization to make the decision to release Joseph. In Monday’s practice, the 49ers were without several key players due to injuries, including Renardo Green, Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, Christian McCaffrey, Ji’Ayir Brown, Isaac Guerendo, Kyle Juszczyk, Evan Anderson, Trent Williams, Kevin Givens, Sam Okuayinonu, and Nick Bosa. In addition, Jordan James was limited.I would have liked to keep Joseph for longer and allow the competition to develop, but we have many players out of practice today. It’s a luxury to have two kickers competing, but we need more players taking repetitions in other positions.
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers Coach
Despite the long list of injured players, most injuries are not considered long-term. Givens will miss a significant portion of the season due to a pectoral injury. Juszczyk, Anderson, and Brown are considered day-to-day, while Guerendo and Okuayinonu are expected to be out for two to three weeks.
The injury situation has led the 49ers to need more players available, especially ahead of joint practices with the Denver Broncos on Thursday and the preseason game on Saturday night. Coach Shanahan indicated that the competition for the kicker position could be reactivated if the team regains health, but for now, Moody will remain the main focus, with the aim of boosting his performance. Shanahan highlighted that Moody is “kicking the ball very well”, but that the team will keep an eye on his performance during the preseason. Shanahan added that, regardless of whether there are one or two kickers on the team, competition always exists, and the kickers are aware of it.
