The San Francisco 49ers made a surprising move by taking kicker Jake Moody in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and following a fantastic rookie season, he took a major step back in 2024, as did many of his teammates.
Moody made just 24 of his 34 field goal attempts last season and directly cost the team at least two wins with untimely misses, so his improvement is of utmost importance as the Niners look to get back on track.
For his part, Moody has made a notable change in an effort to get back to being one of the better kickers in the NFL.
“49ers kicker Jake Moody has moved from a 3-step to a 2-step approach ahead of his kicks. Says it’s reduced the amount of variables pre-kick and allows him to see the ball on the ground before making contact,” David Lombardi wrote on X.
49ers kicker Jake Moody has moved from a 3-step to a 2-step approach ahead of his kicks. Says it’s reduced the amount of variables pre-kick and allows him to see the ball on the ground before making contact
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) July 25, 2025
All of Moody’s misses last season were from beyond 40 yards, and none of them were blocked.
The Niners became the latest example of a team experiencing a Super Bowl hangover, as both sides of the ball endured multiple injuries.
Now that quarterback Brock Purdy is among the highest-paid players in the league, the team had to undergo a transformative offseason that saw it move on from a number of franchise stalwarts.
There are a lot of moving parts heading into 2025, so the team needs Moody to get back to the consistency he showed as a rookie.
