The San Francisco 49ers saw three different kickers play last season as starter Jake Moody missed some time with a right ankle sprain he sustained in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.
With Moody out of commission for the next three games, the 49ers leaned on Matthew Wright (one game) and Anders Carlson (two games). Carlson played well (5-for-5 on field goals and 3-for-4 on extra points), which led him to getting another opportunity with the New York Jets late last season.
Carlson also kicked the ball exceptionally well with the Jets (8-for-10 on field goals and 9-for-11 on extra points). That said, the former 49er kicker will be looking for a new opportunity as New York released him on Wednesday, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Jets announce they’ve released K Anders Carlson. Carlson, 27, spent time last season with NY and the 49ers, making 13 of 15 FG attempts with a long of 58. The 49ers have two kickers competing on their 90-man roster: Jake Moody and Greg Joseph.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) June 18, 2025
It’s not surprising to see that the Jets moved on from the ex-49er despite him playing well last season. The Jets brought in undrafted free agent Caden Davis following the 2025 NFL Draft and officially signed former Birmingham Stallions kicker Harrison Mevis on Wednesday.
The new regime in New York wants to see what Davis and Mevis can do. As for Carlson, he will try to join a new team between now and the start of training camp next month.
While things did not go well for him in Green Bay, Carlson looked like a completely different kicker in San Francisco. Even though he wasn’t going to be the full-time solution, he made the best of his opportunity, which helped him get to New York.
With the 49ers, the longest kick Carlson made was from 55 yards out against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. It's clear that he has a big leg. Carlson just needs to be consistent, which he did in San Francisco and New York.
Speaking of the 49ers, fans should not expect them to go after Carlson. San Francisco has its own kicker competition taking place between Moody and veteran Greg Joseph.