The Niners had kicker struggles for a lot of the 2024 season.
The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a kicker competition between former third-round pick Jake Moody and longtime NFL veteran Greg Joseph.
Both players saw success on the first day of open training camp Wednesday., each connecting on all four of their field goals, according to reporters. The distances were 30, 35, 40, and 50 yards.
While the 49ers have had multiple kickers in camp before, they elected to switch things up and have the two kickers go back-to-back to try and create more competition. In the past, San Francisco has chosen to split days between kickers for more volume, but that wasn’t the case on Wednesday.
Did Kyle Shanahan value the change?
“Yeah, I do [think splitting reps on the same day adds more competition,” Shanahan said on Wednesday. “It all depends on the reps we give them and stuff and Brant [Boyer] decides on that how he wants to do it, so he can do it over the course of time.
“So, it’s not just always day-to-day, we can stack these up and see who has the better camp. But I think between the two of them, I think they missed one in OTAs. So, they’ve both been kicking real well and it should be a really good battle this camp.”
The kicking battle has even caught the eye of teammates, as Nick Bosa and others acknowledged that he’s paying attention to the fireworks as well.
“I actually am paying attention to it, I can’t lie,” Bosa said about the kicker competition.
With the battle heating up, George Kittle is inserting himself into the ‘avid watcher’ category as well.
“Today I wasn’t [watching the competition], Kittle said. “Forgot there was one for a second. Thank you, Nick. It will be exciting to watch. I can’t wait. I love competition. It’s good for the soul.”
The 49ers obviously made a significant investment in Moody, selecting him in the third round back in 2023. But, after two subpar years, they need the best option on the field in 2025.
Of course, an injury may have played a big role last year for the 49ers kicker, as he struggled upon returning from a high ankle sprain.
But, special teams coordinator Brant Boyer has made a lot of changes with the unit, including replacing longsnapper Taybor Pepper with longtime veteran Jon Weeks, as well as releasing special teams ace George Odum.
So, more change could certainly be on the horizon for the 49ers if Moody can’t perform at a high enough level. But, it seems the competition is elevating both his and Greg Joseph’s games, as Shanahan noted that there’s only been one missed kick during OTAs.
Joseph kicked for three teams in 2024: the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants. He combined to hit 16/20 of his field goals and all 11 of his extra points. But, he hasn’t made over 80 percent of his opportunities since 2021.
Still, he has a relationship with Boyer, playing for him this season with the Jets, so he should get a fair shot in the competition. Nonetheless, it should be an exciting and competitive few weeks, with the preseason around the corner.