Kicking Crisis Averted? Commanders Cut Moody, Roll the Dice on Rookie Drew Stevens
The Washington Commanders have seen enough. After weeks of watching Jake Moody spray kicks all over practice and nearly do the same in a preseason game, the team is moving on. A source confirmed the Commanders will release the struggling placekicker, making room for undrafted rookie Drew Stevens to take over. The move is expected to become official Tuesday morning.
This wasn't a tough call—it was an inevitable one. Moody's training camp was a disaster wrapped in inconsistency. In one recent practice alone, he missed four of six attempts from between 44 and 55 yards. Then came Friday's preseason win over Miami, where he banged a 29-yard try off the right upright—it somehow tumbled over the crossbar, but that's not the kind of luck you build a season on.
Drew Stevens: The Unexpected Answer
While Moody was busy struggling, Stevens was quietly stacking solid reps. His training camp wasn't flawless—three of his five misses came on a single rough day—but he bounced back when it mattered, drilling a 41-yarder straight down the middle against the Dolphins.
Stevens also brings the stronger leg. Over his last two seasons at Iowa, he connected on 8 of 13 attempts from beyond 50 yards. That's the kind of range NFL teams covet, especially in a league where games come down to late-game bombs.
Moody's Fall From Grace
It wasn't long ago that Moody was a rising star. The 49ers grabbed him in the third round of the 2023 draft after he won the Lou Groza Award in 2021 as the nation's best college kicker. He made 84% of his field goals as a rookie. But the magic faded fast—his accuracy plummeted to 70.6% in Year 2, and San Francisco cut him after he missed two of three attempts in last season's opener.
He landed on his feet with Chicago and Washington, looking briefly revived by going 18-for-20 combined. But this summer, the yips came back with a vengeance. Washington couldn't afford to wait around for him to find his groove.
More Moves in Washington
The kicking news wasn't the only roster shakeup. The Commanders also plan to sign running back Craig Reynolds, per a source. That addition comes with urgency, as running back Jeremy McNichols will miss at least a couple of weeks with a quad injury, according to coach Dan Quinn.
For Commanders fans, this is a gamble. Stevens is an unproven rookie with zero NFL experience. But after watching Moody's camp, sometimes the unknown is the safer bet.