49ers waive Jake Moody as Bears sign him to practice squad

The San Francisco 49ers waived kicker Jake Moody on Tuesday, Sept. 9, two days after he missed two of three field-goal attempts in a 17-13 season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks, and the Chicago Bears signed him to their practice squad later that week, according to NFL insiders. The moves leave San Francisco with veteran Eddy Piñeiro at kicker and give the Bears an insurance option behind starter Cairo Santos.

Moody, the 99th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan, went 1-for-3 in the opener, missing a 27-yard attempt and seeing a 36-yard try blocked. The 49ers confirmed they moved on after Sunday’s performance and coach Kyle Shanahan elaborated on the decision, saying Moody’s struggles had become mental and were affecting his play. “Jake’s got a chance to have a hell of a future, he’s that talented, but when it gets to that spot where it is we know how last year ended,” Shanahan said. “When it gets to that point you could see it affect him from a mental game. Then you don’t have much choice. You’ve got to move on.”

San Francisco had invested a high draft pick in Moody and stuck with him through ups and downs. As a rookie in 2023 he converted 21 of 25...