lt's no secret that San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody didn't have the greatest sophomore season in 2024, missing 10 field-goal attempts, thus prompting head coach Kyle Shanahan to bring in veteran Greg Joseph this offseason to challenge him.
In the early weeks of training camp, the kicker battle was actually one of the most intriguing stories surrounding the team, as even high-profile players like Nick Bosa couldn't help but comment on it. Ultimately, the battle didn't last long, as Joseph was released on Aug. 4. Shanahan admitted that he would have liked to see the competition last a little longer, but with all the injuries the Niners were dealing with at that time (and still are), he had no choice but to open up a roster spot.
But just because Moody remains the only kicker on the San Francisco roster, that doesn't mean Shanahan won't be keeping a close eye on him, as evidenced by the death glare Shanahan sent the 25-year-old's way after an unforced error during the 49ers' preseason finale on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Moody's night got off to a horrible start, as he missed his extra-point attempt following Tanner Mordecai's 22-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson in the early seconds of the second quarter. We didn't see Shanahan's reaction to that mistake, but we did see his response, and special teams coach Brian Boyer's as well, when a Moody kickoff in the third quarter sailed out of bounds, thus giving the Bolts the ball on the 40-yard line.
For those who didn't take the time to watch the entire clip, just know that Shanahan clearly wasn't thrilled and basically followed Moody with his eyes as he walked off the field. Nevertheless, he still had plenty of nice things to say about Moody following Saturday night's contest.
"We’ll see how it goes in the year," Shanahan said. "I know [Moody's] a talented kicker. I know he’s done some really good things for us. He had a rough last seven games last year, but I think he’s had a real good offseason and a real good preseason also."
Shanahan did reference the missed extra point but also made sure to mention the performance Moody had the week before in the Niners' 22-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, which he called "one of the best games I've ever seen a guy have." Moody, of course, hit a 59-yard field goal as time expired to give San Francisco the victory.
Overall, Moody connected on six of seven field goals during the preseason, his lone miss being a 53-yarder against the Raiders, and hit five of six extra-point attempts.
Now, the 49ers and their fans just have to wait and see how things play out once games that matter get underway.