49ers Cut Jake Moody After Week 1; Sign Veteran Kicker Eddy Piñeiro
San Francisco waived its 2023 third-round pick following a 1-for-3 outing and quickly added Piñeiro ahead of Sunday’s game
The San Francisco 49ers waived kicker Jake Moody on Tuesday, less than a week after a 1-for-3 performance on field goal attempts in their 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, and signed veteran Eddy Piñeiro hours later.
Moody, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan, has struggled with consistency over his two-plus seasons in the league and entered Week 1 with a career field-goal percentage of about 74.2 percent. Despite the team’s narrow victory over Seattle, the 49ers moved to replace him ahead of their next matchup.
Piñeiro, 29, spent the last three seasons with the Carolina Panthers and converted 22 of 26 field-goal attempts in 2024 (84.6 percent). He began his NFL career with the Chicago Bears in 2019 and had a five-game stint with the New York Jets in 2021. Multiple reports cited by the team noted Piñeiro’s career field-goal percentage at about 88.095 percent, placing him among the league’s higher all-time marks.
The 49ers announced the roster move as they prepare to face the New Orleans Saints this weekend. Piñeiro is expected to handle kicking duties immediately.
Fans and former players had publicly questioned Moody’s job security in recent months. Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman criticized Moody on social media and on his podcast, saying, "Jake Moody … just don't understand … kickers aren't hard to find and plenty of pretty good ones out there," and adding on the podcast, "This has to be it. I thought it during preseason. I thought it last year. I always think it because it's not acceptable for the position."
Moody, 25, will be eligible to sign with other teams. The 49ers selected him in the third round in 2023 with the expectation that he would provide long-term stability at the position; instead, inconsistent kicking and missed opportunities factored into the decision to move on after Week 1.
The quick replacement underscores the importance teams place on special teams reliability. While the 49ers found a way to win in Seattle without a perfect kicking performance, NFL franchises frequently make early-season roster changes at specialist positions to shore up late-game scenarios.
Piñeiro’s signing reunites him with a team that has relied on kicker accuracy in close games; his 2024 season numbers provided a recent sample of improved consistency after prior fluctuations in his early career. The 49ers’ coaching staff and front office did not elaborate publicly beyond the roster transaction. Further roster moves could follow as San Francisco continues to evaluate specialists and other depth positions during the early regular season.