49ers' Kyle Shanahan Explains How His Past Factored Into Decision to Waive Jake Moody

The Niners released the kicker on Tuesday after a disappointing Week 1 performance.

Moody missed a field goal attempt and had another blocked during Sunday's win over the Seahawks. / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

After waiving kicker Jake Moody on Tuesday following his disappointing performance in Week 1's win over the Seahawks, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan opened up about the decision in a presser on Wednesday, when he also shared an anecdote about his time in Washington that may have factored into the timing of the release.

Asked what ultimately led to the decision, Shanahan said that, by the time it happened, "there wasn't that much of a decision. It's always tough with that, especially when you have a talented guy. I have some experience with that in my past."

"I remember when I was in Washington, I didn't have that experience, and our kicker lost us a game, and remember how adamant I was when I went into the head coach's office and said, ‘You need to make a change, like, what are we doing?’" Shanahan recounted.

"He snapped at me and said, ‘You don’t know kickers, this guy's really talented. We’ve got to give him some time. I'm not going to watch him go be a Pro Bowler for someone else.’ Then two weeks later, he missed a kick and lost us a game.

"So, I felt validated. I was like, ‘I told you.’ Which I was right for, like, a day, because then the next year, he went on to be a Pro Bowler and the highest-paid kicker in the league for the next three years for another team. So those are things that you kind of think about. It's tough with a kicker."

Shanahan continued, however, to note that he believes Moody is a talented player who has a chance for success elsewhere; he just needs to get his mind right for a fresh start.

"I think Jake's got a chance to have a hell of a future. He is that talented. But when it gets to that spot, where it is—we all know how last year ended, we know how everyone was looking at him. And obviously, when it gets to that point, you can see it affecting him from a mental game. And you don't have much choice. You gotta move on."

Shanahan said the conversation with Moody wasn't as hard as you'd think because "I think he knows. He wouldn't disagree with us. ... There wasn't anything I had to beat around the bush on. He knew that and, to a degree, I think this will give him a chance to move on and hopefully find a place where he can get his swag back in that way."

Kyle Shanahan says that during his Washington days he prematurely wrote off a kicker who went on to have a great career, which may have contributed to his hesitancy to let go of Jake Moody. pic.twitter.com/nZYXvwxnnN

— KNBR (@KNBR) September 10, 2025

On Sunday, Moody, who the Niners drafted 99th in 2023, missed a 27-yard field goal attempt and had a 36-yard attempt blocked. This was also after a disappointing 2024 campaign, when he missed nine of his final 20 attempts for an overall 24-for-34 mark.

Though his rookie year was strong, Moody has clearly been unable to replicate that initial success for San Francisco, even with Shanahan refraining from making snap judgments on his viability. Hopefully, he'll be able to get it together and come back stronger with a new franchise.

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