Commanders' Jake Moody Continues Watching Kicking Opportunity Slip Away

Jake Moody's early edge in Washington's kicking battle is disappearing as another uneven stretch gives Drew Stevens a chance to seize the job.

Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Jake Moody (16) watches his 56-yard field goal during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NFL, already jokingly referred to as the acronym for "Not For Long," is known for chewing most of the sport's best athletes up and spitting them out after a few hard-fought campaigns, a truth arguably no position is more familiar with than the thankless placekicker.

Take Jake Moody, for instance. He's come close to tasting some of the highest highs a kicker can touch, good enough a prospect to earn a top-100 selection by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 NFL Draft. Moody connected on 27 of his 33 field goal attempts across the regular season and playoffs as a rookie, including a then-Super Bowl record 55-yard bomb.

In honor of being four days away from the #NFLDraft here is Jake Moody hitting the longest field goal in Super Bowl history pic.twitter.com/qCQwWhjMIg

— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) April 21, 2025

Unfortunately for Moody, very little has gone his way ever since that very moment. His accuracy, which slightly slipped over the course of those playoffs heading into that crawl to the Bowl, further teetered during a sophomore campaign defined by a subpar 70.6% hit rate. Now, following a third season split between three teams, he finds himself battling for redemption with the Commanders.

He's been pitted against Drew Stevens for the starting kicker job, and Moody's streakiness has returned at yet another inopportune juncture. Training camp viewers had to watch him repeatedly miss from deep, posting distinctly poor marks that threaten to end his bid for another starting gig sooner than anyone could have anticipated.

Jake Moody just went 2 for 6 in this kicking period. Four straight misses from 44, 49, 51, 55.

He’s missed 11 kicks in the last 4 practices.

— Grant Paulsen (@GrantPaulsen) August 10, 2026

Moody's Diminished Return Odds

He's, at the very least, a familiar face in Washington. Moody shot an identical 10/11 on both field goals and extra point attempts over six games with the lowly 2025 Commanders, giving him more to work with in measurable situations than the undrafted free agent Stevens.

But just three years after making his debut, it's hard not to express doubt that he'll consistently factor into any positive on-field developments to kick off the fall. His position is a tenuous one; there are only so many regularly performing kickers in the NFL, and a few bad weeks strung together or a particularly strong loss in confidence can throw any momentum off the rails.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers place kicker Jake Moody (4) attempts a field goal kick against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Moody was protected for a season thanks to his rookie-year accomplishments and draft-based asset value, but the Commanders won't see him as anything more than an expendable placekicker, especially if he dampens star quarterback Jayden Daniels' chances of guiding the squad to weekly success entering this much-anticipated season. Should he maintain the once-lost 50+ yard burst he'd managed to revive over his shortened Washington stint, that long-range attraction may win him a few more weeks of opportunities.

For now, he finds himself spiraling while attempting to avoid falling out of favor with the Commanders. Should Stevens, who himself remains far from a unanimous favorite, amp up the pressure any more, Moody may have to prepare to find work elsewhere.

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