Jake Moody's 49ers' demise dwarfed in importance by loss of George Kittle

"There was more rejoicing over the departure of place kicker Jake Moody than there was despair over the loss of tight end George Kittle for the next four games. Which makes no sense at all. Locally, it was all Moody, all the time. He was drawing mock cheers at Levi's Stadium in the preseason for merely converting a kick and had become a lightning rod for criticism that extended beyond rationality."

"But we're talking about a kicker as opposed to a tight end bound for the Hall of Fame. Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner are the beating hearts of offense and defense in terms of spirit, and the 49ers way and basically irreplaceable. If Eddy Pineiro, officially signed Wednesday, steps in and can convert kicks from the early 50-yard range inward, nobody will be giving Moody a second thought."

"There is no replacement for Kittle, even if Luke Farrell and Week 1 hero Jake Tonges did well against Seattle. Place kickers come and go. The greatest player at his position in the history of the franchise (sorry, Brent Jones) is another matter. It's tough not having him out there, but the expectation is we've got a lot of work cut out for us"

Local fans celebrated place kicker Jake Moody's departure while national coverage centered on George Kittle's hamstring injury and Brock Purdy's toe and shoulder concerns. Moody drew intense criticism and mock cheers, leading to his exit and a chance to reset elsewhere. Eddy Pineiro was signed to replace Moody and must convert long kicks to settle kicking concerns. Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner provide core leadership and spirit and are effectively irreplaceable. The 49ers have gone 7-12 without Kittle and 4-12 without left tackle Trent Williams since 2020. The team expects a challenging four-week stretch without Kittle but expresses confidence in the roster.

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