San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan stuck up for rookie kicker Jake Moody after he missed two field goal attempts during a rough preseason outing against the Las Vegas Raiders
The San Francisco 49ers made the audacious choice to pick Jake Moody in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft – far earlier than teams usually select kickers. So far, so bad: Moody’s terrible first preseason outing on Sunday has drawn unwanted comparisons to Roberto Aguayo, the last kicker taken so early, as he missed both of his field goal attempts.
Aguayo, a second-round pick in 2016, infamously finished his rookie season with the worst conversion rate in the NFL and was cut the next year. San Francisco wants to avoid such a disappointing outcome with Moody.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan defended the Michigan graduate after the 34-7 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders, hoping to restore some confidence following errant attempts from 40 and 58 yards. “I’m not [concerned],” Shanahan said. “It’s unfortunate because I know the pressure on him and everyone’s looking. And I know he missed those two today. He’s been great in practice. He’s hit them all.”
On the 58-yard attempt, Shanahan added: “I was just excited to attempt a long one. Which was fun. Until it was missed.”