Even though Kyle Shanahan intends to stay with Jake Moody through the end of the 2024 NFL season, one of his former teammates thinks the kicker’s tenure with the 49ers ought to come to an end.
The 49ers should fire Moody, according to former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, who explained his reasoning in an interview with “The Richard Sherman Podcast.”
“Jake Moody, got to go. Jake Moody has to go at this point,” Sherman said. “We live in a time when everyone receives a participation trophy and, no, you don’t speak poorly of anyone, so I know that fans are quite sensitive. However, you must perform your duties. He missed two field goals and a PAT, and ultimately, this team loses the game by six points. This is a business where you have to execute, especially at that position, and he hasn’t done it at a high enough tilt. You miss two field goals and a PAT.
https://x.com/RShermanPodcast/status/1874176297447936357?t=owRCyvaxLbG7gnxfTkE08g&s=19
Moody entered the NFL with lofty expectations after the 49ers selected the Michigan product in the third round of the 2023 draft. During his rookie season, Moody mostly was solid, making 21 of his 25 regular-season field-goal attempts.
In the playoffs Moody showed off his powerful leg, drilling all three of his 50-plus-yard field-goal attempts, including a short-lived record-breaking kick in Super Bowl LVIII.
Unfortunately, Moody also missed an extra-point attempt in the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, a costly error that further was magnified by Kansas City’s ability to hit a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.
Moody was excellent to begin 2024, making 12 of his first 13 field-goal attempts before suffering a sprained ankle against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
Since then, Moody is just 10-of-16 on field-goal attempts, including a tough outing in San Francisco’s loss to the Detroit Lions where he missed two kicks as well as an extra point.
Given the draft capital invested in Moody, it appears the 49ers are giving the second-year kicker every opportunity to right the ship and prove he can be the guy moving forward.
Whether or not that ends up being the case remains to be seen.
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