The San Francisco 49ers were unlikely to bring back former kicker Jake Moody after Eddy Piñeiro's injury. Even if the team had considered it, the Washington Commanders have ruled that option out.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Commanders are signing Moody off the Chicago Bears' practice squad after releasing Matt Gay.
Piñeiro suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain during Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers will evaluate potential temporary replacements this week.
"They're working on that now. They're going to do it either tomorrow or Wednesday," Shanahan said during Monday's conference call.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, one of the kickers trying out for the 49ers will be veteran John Parker Romo, recently waived by the Atlanta Falcons.
Moody is in his third NFL season. The 49ers selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While he flashed early potential, he struggled over the past two seasons, particularly after returning from a high-ankle sprain last year.
He remained with the 49ers through the offseason and served as the team's Week 1 kicker, but after making just one of three field-goal attempts, he was waived two days later.
After clearing waivers, the Bears signed Moody to their practice squad. He was elevated for a Week 6 matchup against the Commanders, replacing injured kicker Cairo Santos, and made four of five field-goal attempts, including the game-winner as time expired.
Moody is 9-of-12 on field goals this season, including an 8-of-9 stretch since his departure from San Francisco.
Interestingly, Moody now reunites with former 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel in Washington. Fans may recall Samuel's emotional outburst during a 2024 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Moody missed his third field-goal attempt of the day. The frustration led to a sideline confrontation with then–long snapper Taybor Pepper, who stepped in to defend Moody.
"Normally, I don't even get like that, but just frustrated in the heat of battle," Samuel said after the game. "You know, really close game, and I kind of got out of character a little bit. But I'll talk to Moody, and we'll get past it."
Moody ultimately redeemed himself, drilling the game-winning field goal to secure a 23-20 49ers victory.
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