The 49ers look to have their temporary kicker selected. After a five-specialist workout, San Francisco is going with Matthew Wright. The veteran fill-in will be added to the team’s practice squad, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.
The 49ers lost starting kicker Jake Moody to a high ankle sprain during their Week 5 loss to the Cardinals, and their next game on Thursday gave them little time to find a replacement.
Wright has spent four years in the NFL as a mercenary kicker for teams like the 49ers that need stop-gap solutions due to injury. He played 14 games for the Jaguars in 2021 after Josh Lambo went down and has also played for the Steelers, Chiefs and Panthers. Wright has made 40 of his 47 career field goal attempts (85.7%) with a long of 59, and his PAT conversion rate is 94.6%.
Wright beat out Randy Bullock, Anders Carlson and Matt Coghlin for San Francisco’s kicking job, per Schefter. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Riley Patterson auditioned for the gig.
Wright must quickly get on the same page as punter/holder Mitch Wishnowsky. Wishnowsky hit a 26-yard field goal against Arizona, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan declined to give him a chance from 44 yards, instead electing to attempt a fourth-and-23. The conversion failed, and the Cardinals would score 10 unanswered points to win.
Wright is expected to be elevated to the practice squad for the 49ers’ Thursday night matchup with the Seahawks. He must overcome a raucous Seattle crowd to help San Francisco keep up in the NFC West.
