Andrew Buller-Russ
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has made some very wise decisions in his eight-year tenure with the team. Sometimes, he also makes a few poor decisions too, like trading up for Trey Lance and making him the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Of course, the 49ers have since bounced back from the Lance selection, and finding a gem like Brock Purdy as the very final selection of the 2022 NFL Draft was a big help. Throughout it all, Lynch is no stranger to making mistakes and learning how to bounce back from them; it’s the same thing he did throughout his Hall of Fame playing career.
This time, he’ll have to find a way to overcome making kicker Jake Moody the 99th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Moody greatly struggled throughout the first two years of his career, and that theme continued into Week 1, where he made just one of three field goal attempts. Making matters worse, the kicks Moody missed were just from 27 and 36 yards, both chip shots by today’s kicking standards, especially with others drilling 60-yarders with ease.
On Tuesday, the 49ers officially cut bait with Moody by releasing him from the roster. The 49ers have not made a corresponding move.
With no kicker on the roster or practice squad, the 49ers’ front office will have to act quickly to find a new leg in time for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
Free agent kicker Eddy Pineiro has the upper leg, considering he was the first player the 49ers brought in for a workout after releasing Purdy. While he had not immediately signed a contract after the workout it’s possible Pineiro was either still considering other offers or the 49ers could be comparing their options.
However, as the hours crept on, the 49ers did announce an agreement with Pineiro, signing him to the active roster, which means he’ll be San Francisco’s kicker in Week 2 against New Orleans.
Pineiro, 29, has made 88.1% of his field goals in his NFL career. That’s a much better hit rate than Moody’s 74.2% in his young NFL career. In turn, he should be an immediate upgrade, providing more consistency to an underrated area of the team.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where Does Brock Purdy Rank?
