Commanders Need Their Kicker Battle Settled Long Before Week 1

Washington has cycled through tons of different kickers over the last two seasons, turning a position that should be background noise into an ongoing headache. As training camp kicks off, Jake Moody and rookie challenger Drew Stevens aren't just fighting for a roster spot—they're fighting to finally bring stability to a haunted special teams unit.

Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders kicker Jake Moody (16) kicks the game tying field goal in the final seconds in the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last thing the Washington Commanders need is their kicker battle to become one of the biggest stories of training camp.

This team has had enough kicker stories to last any fan two lifetimes. That is why the competition between Jake Moody and Drew Stevens should not be brushed aside as just another bottom-of-the-roster summer battle.

Washington has had a revolving door at kicker since 2024, with six of them actually appearing in games: Cade York, Austin Seibert, Zane Gonzalez, Greg Joseph, Matt Gay and Moody. The team also had Brandon McManus and Ramiz Ahmed on the roster, but neither kicked in a game. At some point, a position group that is supposed to feel boring begins to say something about how unsettled things have become.

No team needs drama at kicker. It is the one job on the field where a player can have the leg, the résumé and the right process, and still have everything shrink once the moment gets heavy.

The Madrid Meltdown: Why Kicking Is No Longer Background Noise

Matt Gay can’t connect from 51, Commanders come up empty in Madrid 🇪🇸#NFL #MadridGame #Commanders #SpecialTeams pic.twitter.com/QJCqjmhMog

— Aggregate (@AggregateSports) November 16, 2025

That is especially true after how last year played out. Gay was supposed to bring veteran stability after signing a one-year, $4.25 million deal, but Washington released him in November after he made 13 of 19 field goal attempts in 10 games. His final game with the team made the issue impossible to ignore, with Gay missing two 50-yard attempts in a 16-13 overtime loss in Madrid, Spain. He was 4-for-9 on 50-plus-yard attempts during his time with the team.

Every 50-yard kick should not be treated like a free three points. But because he missed the kick at the end of regulation, and the team later lost by three in overtime, the position is no longer background noise. Once that happens, the entire team knows. It starts affecting how aggressive the offense has to be near midfield, how comfortable the staff feels on fourth down, and how much pressure gets added to every drive that reaches scoring range.

MATT GAY WALKS OFF THE COMMANDERSpic.twitter.com/8yzGa73aWb

— Red Raider Man🌵 (@redraiderman1) November 16, 2025

Moody at least gave Washington some late-season evidence. After replacing Gay, he made 10 of his 11 field goal attempts and 10 of his 11 extra points over the final six games. Do not get confused; that does not make Moody untouchable. His full NFL résumé is not spotless, and Washington would not have signed Stevens if the job were already closed. More than anything, Washington needed to make sure the position did not feel handed to anyone before camp even started.

Stevens is not just in camp to take reps off Moody’s leg. There is a reason Washington brought him in. At Iowa, he put up 352 career points, made 76 field goals, hit 12 from 50-plus yards, and set the school record with a 58-yarder. Last season alone, he went 22-for-28 on field goals and missed just one extra point in 42 tries, while still connecting four times from beyond 50.

DREW STEVENS 58YD FG FOR IOWA pic.twitter.com/svUOfbpwAZ

— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) November 8, 2025

That is what makes this competition worth watching.

Moody has the recent in-game evidence, and was re-signed in Washington because of it. Stevens has the stronger long-term upside case. One offers the Commanders a little bit of known comfort. They both offer the chance to find something bigger than another short-term patch. But this is a battle that needs to look close to settled by the end of the second preseason game.

JAKE MOODY SENDS THE BRONCOS-COMMANDERS GAME TO OT 🔥pic.twitter.com/h7HBvOLCVA

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 1, 2025

The Commanders ranked 22nd in field goal attempts per game, 28th in field goals made per game and 29th in field goal conversion rate last season, according to Commanders.com. That is not a throwaway note for a team trying to prove that last year was a step back rather than a larger warning sign.

Washington does not need its kicker to carry the team. That is not the job here. The job is to keep stalled drives from turning into nothing. The job is to make the sideline comfortable when a close game reaches the final five minutes. The job is to prevent another season where the Commanders are still searching for an answer to a position that should have been settled before Week 1.

Training camp can be a competition. By September, there needs to be a decision the team can build on.

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