The Chicago Bears entered Week 7 with serious kicker concerns for the second straight game. Cairo Santos is still nursing a thigh injury and was ruled out before Sunday, meaning that Jake Moody would be elevated off the practice squad once again to take over kicking duties. And for the second straight week, he was among the standouts for the Bears.
Not only has Moody helped the Bears improve to 4-2, but he has also successfully auditioned for the rest of the league, proving that he still has what it takes to be a starting kicker in this league.
Jake Moody Won't Last Much Longer on the Bears' Practice Squad
Since Moody is on the practice squad, he could be signed by any team to their active roster. Teams around the league are constantly looking to make kicking upgrades or are forced to make changes following an injury. When the next team is desperate for a new kicker, Moody should now be near the top of their list.
The last two weeks have been a much-needed bounce-back for Moody. Coming into the NFL as one of the most highly coveted kicking prospects in recent memory, Moody failed to live up to expectations with the San Francisco 49ers, and that stint came to a disappointing end after Week 1 when he missed two field goals. He landed on the Bears' practice squad right away and has made the most of his opportunity so far.
Against the Saints, Moody went a perfect 4-of-4 on field-goal attempts while nailing his two extra-point tries. The performance comes one week after he went 4-of-5 in field goals with a successful extra-point attempt against the Washington Commanders, with his only miss getting blocked.
The 25-year-old kicker has one more elevation from the practice squad left. After that, the Bears have to sign him or cut him loose.
Santos has long been one of the most accurate and reliable kickers in the league, and will almost certainly take back his starting spot upon his return from injury. At that point, keeping Moody around will not be necessary. The former third-round pick will then likely end up on another practice squad, unless he is poached by and lands on another team's 53-man roster before then.
Regardless of where Moody's career takes him, he will be remembered very fondly by Bears fans for helping them in a big way in their time of need.