The San Francisco 49ers will be without second-year kicker Jake Moody for an extended period. Following Sunday's narrow 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Moody sustained a high-ankle sprain.
The injury occurred on the play after cornerback Deommodore Lenoir returned a blocked Cardinals field goal attempt for a touchdown. Moody attempted to tackle the returner on the ensuing kickoff but was slow to get up, clutching his kicking leg in visible pain. He then limped off the field and was carted to the locker room for further evaluation before being ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky stepped in for field goal duties, with fullback Kyle Juszczyk as the holder.
After the game, Moody appeared in a walking boot. Speaking briefly to reporters, he expressed uncertainty about the injury's severity but noted he didn't believe anything was fractured. He will undergo an MRI to determine the full extent of the damage.
"Losing your kicker is huge, especially when you have a guy who's good from what? 57 yards? 56 yards?" tight end George Kittle said after the game. "So, yeah, that's tough. Jake's a hell of a kicker and we don't have that option. And now, you have to get it to what? The 25-yard line to kick, whatever it is? ... That's tough.
"But I think our special teams and our defense gave us every opportunity today to win, and as an offensive player who's been here for eight years, I feel like that one's mostly on us than anything else."
With a quick turnaround before Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, the 49ers must secure another kicker promptly.
"Yeah, they'll work on that stuff right away," Shanahan said. "With kickers, they're almost independent contractors, so we'll get them in as fast as possible and get the best guy we can. I'm sure it'll have to be for a few weeks. I'm not sure [about the severity of the injury], but I know they told me a high-ankle, and that's never soon."
When asked about his stance on kickers making tackles versus protecting themselves, Shanahan added, "Same as everybody. I mean, you try to tackle. You don't tell guys to keep their ankle out of it. You hope that it doesn't come to him, and he doesn't have to make a tackle, but you also don't tell guys to turn it down and just let them score. It's part of football."
Additionally, Shanahan reported that safety Talanoa Hufanga sustained a wrist injury and did not return. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown also suffered an ankle injury but returned to the game.
