The San Francisco 49ers lost a heartbreaker in Week 5 to their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals. The loss dropped the 49ers to 2-3 on the season. It also cost the team its second-year place kicker, as Jake Moody was injured during the 24-23 loss to the Cardinals.

Moody suffered a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss a few weeks. In an effort to replace him, the 49ers have signed Matthew Wright, per the team’s official account on X.

Moody was injured in the second quarter while attempting to make a tackle following a kickoff. His absence loomed large as the 49ers were forced to change their offensive game plan, opting to go for fourth and long at one point instead of kicking a field goal that would have extended their lead.

Ultimately, San Francisco blew a 23-10 halftime lead, falling to the Cardinals 24-23. The ugly choke job was similar to the team’s Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers allowed the Rams to come from behind, scoring 13 fourth quarter points to win the contest 27-24. San Francisco is now 2-3 on the season and in third place in the NFC West.

The 49ers lost kicker Jake Moody during their devastating defeat in Week 5

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers place kicker Jake Moody (4) kicks a field goal against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium.
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Some initially thought the 49ers would bring in their former kicker Robbie Gould as Moody’s replacement. That plan is unrealistic, however, as Gould will remain retired from the NLF. The team instead opted for Wright. The 28-year-old kicker has essentially settled in as a professional replacement since entering the league in 2019 and signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.

The 49ers will be the eighth team Wright has joined, primarily as an offseason addition or practice squad member. Wright’s most productive season in the NFL was in 2021 when he played in 14 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars and hit 21 of 24 field goal attempts. More recently, he played in four games for the Steelers in 2022 and one game for the Carolina Panthers last year.

The 49ers selected Moody in the third round of the 2023 draft. In his first 22 games, he connected on 34 of 39 FG attempts and hit 72 of 73 extra point tries. It is unclear at this point if Moody will be placed on the injured reserve or if the team expects him back in the next four games.

The 49ers head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in yet another division matchup. The team hopes to close out a game with the lead and improve to 3-3 on the season. Seattle leads the NFC West with a 3-2 record.