The San Francisco 49ers lost Jake Moody three weeks ago and then backup kicker Matthew Wright two weeks ago. They’ve since signed former Green Bay Packers kicker Anders Carlson. Is he set to make another start in Week 8 against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football?
Jake Moody Injury Continues To Cause Problems for San Francisco
Second-year kicker Jake Moody was off to a terrific start to the 2024 season. Moody had converted 13 of his 14 field goals over the first five weeks.
However, Moody went down in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals with a high ankle sprain trying to make a tackle.
#JakeMoody @49ers
Injured right ankle of this tacklehttps://t.co/KJZuMQNe2r pic.twitter.com/AmXUXadMyA— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 6, 2024
Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers head coach, suggested that Moody would be out for roughly a month. He was later placed on injured reserve, putting him out until at least Week 11.
In his place, the Niners signed veteran Matthew Wright, who won a competition between four kickers for the right to kick in Moody’s stead.
Matthew Wright Added to Injury Report After 1 Game
Wright was perfect in his 49ers debut, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points in San Francisco’s 36-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
SEE MORE: NFL Injury Report
However, Wright dislocated his shoulder late in the game. Although it was thought that he might be able to continue kicking at first, he was placed on injured reserve late in the week, knocking him out until at least Week 12.
Who Is Anders Carlson?
The 49ers signed Carlson to the practice squad following the Wright injury. They used one of their activations on him before Week 7, with the hopes that perhaps Wright or Moody would make it back in time for this week. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
On Saturday, the 49ers again called up Carlson to the active roster. He will kick for the second consecutive week when the 49ers take on the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night.
Carlson, whose brother Daniel kicks for the Las Vegas Raiders, was a sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2023. He was Green Bay’s kicker last year but was just 27-for-33 (81.8%) on field goals last season. He also missed five extra points, the most of any kicker last season.
Ironically, Carlson’s most notable moment came against the 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. After making his first two field goals of the game, Carlson missed from 41 yards out with 6:21 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Packers up 21-17.
The field goal would have given Green Bay a seven-point lead and would likely ensure at least overtime. Instead, the 49ers took the miss and went down the field for the game-winning touchdown.
Carlson remained in Packers camp but lost the camp battle to undrafted rookie Brayden Narveson. Now, he’s getting a second chance with one of the Packers’ NFC rivals, who are simply hoping he can make it through their Week 8 game unscathed.
In his 49ers debut last week, Carlson made both of his field goals as well as an extra point. He will look to continue his success this week as he auditions for a future chance with another team.