
via Imago
Image Credits: Imago

via Imago
Image Credits: Imago
The 49ers have spent this offseason locking down their core. Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and defensive leader Fred Warner with big extensions. But quietly, behind all that chaos, Kyle Shanahan made another move that raised eyebrows: he brought in competition at kicker. For Jake Moody, the team’s starter for the last two years.
As first reported by David Lombardi on X, “The 49ers have officially signed Greg Joseph to be Jake Moody’s competition at kicker.” The 30-year-old kicker Greg Joseph out of Boca Raton has taken the long road through the NFL—suiting up for the teams from the Browns to to the Jets. Now, thrown into a high-stakes battle in the Bay, that move definitely sent a message. But whatever the plan was, it didn’t last long enough.
Then came the bombshell. A tweet dropped the news: “With the 49ers releasing Greg Joseph, it looks like Jake Moody has won the training camp battle at kicker.” Wait—what? That was the reaction across Niners Nation, and it only got worse when the same post added, “My level of confidence in him is a 3/10.” Oof. Coach Yac broke it down even further: Greg Joseph went 22-for-24 in camp, Jake Moody 21-for-24. Practically even, but Joseph had the edge and still got cut. And Yac didn’t hold back this feeling either: “The 49ers better have another kicker in mind or this is straight up bullshit.” That sentiment echoed across fans who now feel like San Francisco might be playing with fire.
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With the 49ers releasing Greg Joseph, it looks like Jake Moody has won the training camp battle at kicker.
My level of confidence in him is a 3/10 pic.twitter.com/4cTYLbNxUb
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) August 4, 2025
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Moody may have the age and potential, but he also has something to prove and fast. The team’s for sure must be crossing their fingers that the tweaks finally pay off. Because if they don’t? This could get ugly quickly. That’s because the San Francisco just made things official. Alongside signing DL Bradlee Anae, DL Bruce Hector, S Jaylen Mahoney, CB Fabian Moreau, and OL Isaiah Prince to one-year deals, the team also cleared space by waiving CB Tre Avery, WR Isaiah Neyor, QB Tanner Mordecai, TE Mason Pline. And yes to add on they are also releasing Greg. The one with 116 of his 141 field goal attempts in his entire career.
And yet, the 49ers chose Jake Moody, San Francisco’s third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. After returning from a high-ankle sprain, Moody missed 9 of his final 20 field goal attempts. Players like Nick Bosa might call the competition “exciting,” but fans? They’re not sold. Not after this decision.
49ers’ decision in the favor of Jake Moody is under fire, igniting fan frustration
Brant Boyer had engineered a pressure test in camp: Jake Moody vs. Greg Joseph. “That’s how you create pressure on the guys,” Boyer said. But for Jake Moody, his confidence had already been hanging by a thread. Ever since his high ankle sprain in Week 5, the former third-rounder has struggled to recapture the rhythm. And fans? They’re not hiding their frustration. “Another year of inconsistency and excuses for this bum,” one wrote on X, perfectly capturing the public mood.
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USA Today via Reuters
Credits-Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
What’s your perspective on:
With confidence in Moody at 3/10, are the 49ers risking their season on a shaky kicker?
Have an interesting take?
Moody’s decline wasn’t subtle. After missing Weeks 6 and 7 due to injury, he went just 7-of-13 on field goals over a critical stretch and a Week 17 collapse against Detroit, missing from 51 and 58 yards and botching a PAT. That’s seven lost points in a six-point loss. From an 84% conversion rate in 2023 to 70.6% last season, Moody’s regression is more than just numbers. As Boyer admitted, “I see a guy who lost his confidence a little… but I also see a guy who was injured half the year.” Moody’s under reconstruction but patience is already running thin.
The reactions haven’t been kind. “They simply can’t admit the 3rd rd was wrong…” one fan posted, echoing the belief that Moody is being protected because of how high he was drafted. Another echoed the consequence of that decision, adding, “You can’t have an inconsistent Kicker like Moody and a conservative coach like Kyle on the same team. He’s not Clutch.” This is a gamble to fix what’s broken, but in the NFL, these tweaks don’t erase pressure.
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“Bro wtf,” one fan posted after Joseph was cut. “I feel like they won’t move on from Moody for at least another year just because how high they drafted him,” another commented. That’s quite a narrative spiraling out of control.
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Kyle Shanahan isn’t immune to the consequences either. The pressure is now all on him and the entire 49ers staff, because fans don’t believe they’ll be waiting long before this one blows up.
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"With confidence in Moody at 3/10, are the 49ers risking their season on a shaky kicker?"