Jake Moody, cut by the 49ers after the season opener, is set to make his Bears debut. David Gonzales / Imagn Images
Oct. 13, 2025Updated 7:55 pm EDT
By Jayna Bardahl, Kevin Fishbain and Dan Wiederer
Jake Moody will be the Chicago Bears’ kicker against the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football” after the team elevated him from the practice squad and ruled Cairo Santos inactive 90 minutes ahead of kickoff.
A third-round pick by the 49ers in the 2023 NFL Draft, Moody quickly fizzled out in San Francisco. He went 52-for-70 over two seasons plus one game. Moody’s career accuracy from 40 yards or longer checks in at just 55.2 percent. The 25-year-old was waived after missing two field goals in the 49ers’ Week 1 win against the Seattle Seahawks.
Santos is the most accurate kicker in Bears history, though there have been questions about his leg strength, particularly after he botched a kickoff and missed a 50-yard attempt wide right in Chicago’s Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears signed Moody the following week, which seemed to put some pressure on Santos.
Weather conditions at Northwest Stadium could complicate Moody’s debut with the Bears. It is a misty and windy night in Landover, Md., with wind gusts up to 15 miles per hour and a likelihood of precipitation throughout the game.
How the Bears’ kicking situation got here
Santos, who suffered a right thigh injury in Las Vegas, was a full participant in Saturday’s practice and not on the injury report, so he likely suffered a setback ahead of Monday night’s game. Moody, who has been on the practice squad since being released by the 49ers, kicked at Northwest Stadium on New Year’s Eve 2023 and was 2-2 on field goals and made all three extra points.
Moody went 1-for-3 for the Niners before being cut. He was 70.6 percent in field goals last season. We’ll see if Moody or punter Tory Taylor handles kickoffs tonight. There was a steady rain in the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat writer
Oct 14, 2025
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