The 49ers are expected to sign some competition for kicker Jake Moody, but they didn't do so immediately after the draft. Why?
Following a titanic collapse toward the tail end of 2024, San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody should have expected to be on the hot seat.
Indeed, in his season wrap-up, head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated the Niners would bring aboard some competition to, at the very least, push Moody back in the direction of being a reliable specialist -- a necessity, given San Francisco spent a third-round NFL Draft pick on him in 2023.
Wisely, the 49ers didn't select a kicker in the 2025 draft. However, in the hours and days that followed, the Niners didn't ink an undrafted free-agent kicker either, instead opting to round out their 90-man offseason roster with additional depth talent. And there haven't been any veteran free-agent transactions either.
Interesting.
On the surface, this might seem like a quiet endorsement for Moody. Despite what Shanahan said previously, the kicker doesn't have to look over his shoulder at someone vying for his job.
Well, at least not yet.
49ers begin to explore kicker competition for Jake Moody
According to a report from San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi, San Francisco is welcoming in former Louisiana kicker Kenneth Almendares for a tryout.
Having spent seven collegiate seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, including a 2024 campaign that saw him receive an All-American nod and the 2024 Lou Groza award, given to college football's best kicker, Almendares nevertheless didn't receive a call on draft day and remains unsigned.
The 49ers are, however, bringing him in for a rookie minicamp tryout.
One can read this a number of different ways. First, obviously, it might be a first look at whether or not Almendares would be worthy of a UDFA contract to hang around during offseason workouts and into training camp, thereby solidifying the role of Moody's top competitor.
On the flip side, though, teams regularly bring in specialists for workouts all offseaon and even into the regular season, which helps coaches stockpile a list of candidates to target if a rostered kicker suffers an in-season injury.
This is what the Niners had to do last year when Moody missed time with a high-ankle sprain.
Of course, if Almendares' workout goes well and San Francisco reacts by signing him, Moody will ultimately feel the heat a lot more than he did in the immediate aftermath of the draft.