27-05-2025
49ers K Jake Moody looking to make massive change to his approach in 2025
49ers K Jake Moody looking to make massive change to his approach in 2025
Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers selected Michigan kicker Jake Moody in the third round (No. 99 overall) of the draft after two All-Big Ten and All-American campaigns that saw him earn the Big Ten Kicker of the Year Award twice.
As a rookie, Moody beat out veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez, whom the 49ers traded for earlier that offseason, for the starting job. Moody went on to make 21 of his 25 field goals (84%) and a league-high 60 of his 61 extra point attempts (98.4%).
Unfortunately, in 2024, Moody wasn't as strong, making just 24 of his 34 field goals (70.6%) and 32 of his 33 extra point attempts (97.0%) while dealing with an ankle injury that actually cost him time during the season.
Now, as Moody prepares for his third year in the NFL, he's switching up his kicking approach, telling The Athletic's Vic Tafur this offseason that he's going from three steps before the kick down to two.
'It's been going great,' Moody said. 'Obviously, when you have been doing something since the sixth grade, it was definitely challenging at the start. I had to keep telling myself to stick with it.'
Tafur also spoke with Moody's longtime kicking coach, Brandon Kornblue, who gave some insight into the changes that the two started implementing back in March.
'You have to be careful when you change something like that, because he had been so successful for so long with the three steps,' Kornblue said. 'Jake and I had talked about doing this in the past, but because he was kicking so well, I didn't feel like it was smart. But then with the injury and all that, he felt comfortable with the change.'
Moody was rather plain with his description of the switch.
'I felt like I've had some inconsistencies with my first jab step,' Moody said. 'So I figured if I just get rid of that step altogether and I just take two steps instead of the three, it's less room for error.'
The coach and player are aiming to make sure the kicks stay consistent while they worry about accuracy over distance, at this point. Moody has plenty of leg, and this change could see him return to the kicker he was in 2023.
After the struggles last year, the 49ers have brought in competition for Moody this offseason. He'll have to beat out veteran kicker Greg Joseph, who has made 116 of his 141 field goals (82.3%) and 112 of his 124 extra points (90.3%) in his six seasons in the NFL split between the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Washington Commanders.
Last season, Joseph made just 16 of his 20 field goals (80%), so there's a considerable difference between the two. If Moody doesn't outshine Joseph, he could end up losing his job.
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