The San Francisco 49ers had an injury-plagued 2024 season. These injuries led to San Francisco's offense and defense being less effective than usual. That said, injuries were not the only issue that affected the 49ers' offensive output.
Kicker Jake Moody cost the 49ers points on multiple occasions during the 2024 season. In 2024, Moody only made 70% (24/34) of his field goals. The 25-year-old 's struggle to make kicks left fans frustrated, while others wanted to see a change.
On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed Moody's future at the NFL owners meetings. According to Matt Maiocco, Shanahan said the 49ers plan to bring in a veteran kicker after the draft to compete with Moody.
The 49ers plan to bring in a veteran kicker after the draft to compete with Jake Moody, coach Kyle Shanahan said.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) April 1, 2025
49ers Plan to Bring in Competition for Jake Moody
After Moody's struggles last season, Shanahan admitting San Francisco will bring in a veteran is no surprise. The 49ers selected Moody with the 99th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The former Michigan Wolverine showed decent leg strength in college, scoring 10-of-13 on 40-plus yard field goals and 4-of-8 on 50-plus yard field goals.
Furthermore, Moody accounted for the most points (147) in the Big Ten in 2022. As a rookie, he hit 84% (21/25) of his field goals and 98% (60/61) of his extra points. Moody's 84% field goal percentage ranked him 20th in 2023, below the league average.
Witnessing an even bigger step back in 2024 was not what any 49ers fan thought would happen. Currently, the two biggest names are free agents Nick Folk and Matt Prater. However, both guys are in their 40s, and Prater is coming off an injury.
Another interesting name out there is former Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley. Badgley has spent the last two seasons injured, but when healthy, he is an accurate kicker, hitting 87% of his field goal attempts in his career.
Monitoring the 49ers' kicking situation and seeing who they bring in for competition will be fascinating to watch.