The San Francisco 49ers face a critical decision at kicker, and fans are watching closely. Jake Moody has quickly become one of the team's most polarizing players, leaving many frustrated as every field goal attempt feels like a nerve-wracking gamble.
Moody delivered late-game heroics last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, drilling a 59-yard game-winning field goal. However, that clutch moment didn't erase the earlier miss in the same game—and he struggled again in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.
In Saturday night's matchup, Moody missed the extra point following the 49ers' first touchdown and later sent a kickoff out of bounds, gifting the Chargers prime field position at their own 40-yard line.
The coaching staff didn't appear pleased with the miscues.
Broadcast shots after that Jake Moody kickoff disaster: Brant Boyer exasperated, walked by Moody head down without a word. And a Kyle Shanahan death stare pic.twitter.com/6YeYrdiIwy
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) August 24, 2025
Moody's job could very well be on the line. Still, head coach Kyle Shanahan refrained from publicly criticizing his kicker after Saturday's game, even when asked about potential replacements.
"I don't know. I thought he had one of the best games I've ever seen a guy have last week," Shanahan said. "I know he missed the extra point today, which definitely doesn't make us happy, but we'll see how it goes in the year."
Shanahan's comments suggest the 49ers may be willing to gamble on Moody bouncing back and securing a roster spot for the 2025 season.
However, the team could consider pursuing a veteran kicker if one becomes available after roster cutdowns on Tuesday, potentially ending the Moody experiment and adding more reliability at the position.
"I know he's a talented kicker," Shanahan added. "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, a real good preseason, also."