Jake Moody is just one of many returning San Francisco 49ers veterans hoping for a better performance than he displayed last season. After a tremendous rookie campaign, Moody looked like a shell of his first-year self one season later, finishing 2024 with a 70.6% field-goal percentage — a drastic decline from his 98.4 FG% in 2023.
In an effort to motivate their kicker, the 49ers signed veteran special-teamer Greg Joseph before organized team activities (OTAs) began. Whether Joseph replaced Moody or got him to step up, San Francisco just wants to emerge from the offseason with the best possible kicking situation.
Joseph's presence seemingly lit a fire under Moody, as the latter impressively nailed six of his field-goal attempts during Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old's time for celebration didn't last long.
49ers K Greg Joseph One-Ups Jake Moody With Wednesday's Perfect Performance
The saying "iron sharpens iron" appears to be true following Wednesday's minicamp practice. After watching Moody have a strong showing on Tuesday, Joseph decided to one-up his counterpart with a flawless outing one day later.
"One day after Jake Moody made 6-of-7 field goals, his veteran competitor, Greg Joseph, was perfect on the final day of the 49ers’ offseason program," NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco reported. "He hit from 28, 33, 36, 40, 47, 52, and 55."
Moody is likely feeling less certain about his outlook after watching Joseph absolutely crush football after football without a miss. Even though there's still plenty of time before the 49ers must make a final decision, their choice could become easier if their recent addition continues playing at a high level.
Joseph, 30, is hoping to call the Bay home after a rocky 2024. He went 16-of-20 (80.0%) and 11-of-11 (100.0%) on field-goal and extra-point attempts, respectively, while suiting up for the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and New York Jets last season. While it was far from his best performance, Joseph's veteran experience (75 games since 2018) was too enticing to ignore.
With training camp beginning next month, it won't be long before the 49ers' kicking situation is clearer. It also means the clock is ticking for Moody to prove why he deserves to be San Francisco's starting kicker, or risk being replaced by Joseph.