Apparently, the San Francisco 49ers knew all they needed to know with regard to which kicker they'd want to roll with entering 2025.
Kicking competitions usually aren't that exciting, although Niners fans certainly felt it was necessary to have one after the incumbent, Jake Moody, suffered one of the worst stretches of kicking in recent memory during the latter portion of 2024, which paralleled arguably the biggest kicking draft bust of all time, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Roberto Aguayo.
In response, San Francisco onboarded some competition for Moody earlier this offseason, signing journeyman kicker Greg Joseph.
There were moments where it seemed as if Joseph could beat out the 49ers' 2023 third-round draftee, both in minicamp and even in training camp.
That said, the Niners made their choice before the preseason even began.
Jake Moody wins 49ers' high-profile kicking battle
In a slew of roster moves on the Monday before beginning its preseason campaign, San Francisco released Joseph outright, effectively declaring Moody as the winner of this special teams bout.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch, Joseph appeared to have a slight edge in the kicking battle, going 22-of-24 on field-goal tries, compared to Moody's mark of 21-of-24:
Surprise: The #49ers have released K Greg Joseph, who has made 22 of 24 FGs in training camp (Jake Moody: 21 of 24).
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) August 4, 2025
They also waived QB Tanner Mordecai after signing QB Carter Bradley last week.
Yet there are certainly other factors at play when looking at the competition. Had the 49ers chosen to part ways with Moody instead, they would have been on the hook for $214,378 in dead money this season and next, while Joseph had zero in guarantees on the one-year deal he signed earlier this offseason.
Money matters.
Plus, the Niners may feel as if it's premature to fully give up on their high-profile special teams investment from two offseasons ago, still banking on the University of Michigan product to turn things around while admitting the close of 2024 was more of an anomaly than anything else.
One can only hope so, because Moody's collapse last season wasn't exactly promising.