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Greg Joseph took on the Philadelphia Eagles as a member of the New York Giants on October 20, 2024.
Yesterday on Tuesday June 10, 2025, San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody made headlines at the first day of 49ers mandatory minicamp for a good day of kicking.
Using his new two-step approach after switching over from a three-step, Moody hit 6 of 7 field goals from varying distances on the field.
Day 1 of minicamp is a wrap. Good day for defense, with three INTs. Offense also had a bunch of drops.
Jake Moody, with his new two-step approach, looked good. Made 6 of 7 FGs and was only kicker used. #49ers
The 49ers veteran kicker signing from this past offseason, Greg Joseph, was not used at all during the intrasquad scrimmage, making it seem like Moody was still the clear No. 1 guy.
That all changed today on Wednesday June 11, 2025. In a shocking reversal from the previous day’s action, Joseph took all the kicks while Moody sat on the sideline.
One day after Jake Moody made 6-of-7 field goals, his veteran competitor. Greg Joseph was perfect on the final day of the 49ers’ offseason program. He hit from 28, 33, 36, 40, 47, 52 and 55.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) June 11, 2025
Not only that, but Joseph was better than Moody. While Moody missed a kick, Joseph was a perfect 7-of-7 from 28, 33, 36, 40, 47, 52, and 55 yards.
With the two kickers going blow for blow — or kick for kick — in these two days of minicamp, it seems that the 49ers kicking position really is an open competition, and it is heating up.
What is Greg Joseph’s Résumé?
Greg Joseph hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. The 30-year old has been in the NFL for six seasons, most recently with the New York Jets.
Joseph’s longest tenure with any team was with the Minnesota Vikings from 2021-2023. Joseph kicked in every game for the Vikings for those three seasons and went 93-for-101 on field goals, giving him a field goal percentage of 92%.
Joseph has been nearly perfect on shorter field goals in his career, and extra points as well recently. His struggles come on longer kicks; in his first season in Minnesota in 2022, 6 of his 7 misses were from 50+ yards.
Last season, Joseph kicked in only 8 games for three different teams: the New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Jets. All in all, he had a field goal percentage of 80% — just below league average, but better than Moody’s 70% clip.
As previously mentioned, Joseph will be held back by his lack of accuracy from distance, but with Moody switching to the two-step approach which will likely improve his accuracy but impede his power, that may not be an issue anyway.
Can Joseph Win the Job?
The 49ers are likely going to give Moody every chance they can to figure things out, especially since they invested a third round draft pick to get him just a few short years ago in 2023.
They are also likely to give Moody the benefit of the doubt given that he struggled with an ankle injury last season, which almost certainly impeded his performance.
But the signing of Joseph, and his active participation in minicamp, is a clear signal that the 49ers aren’t going to wait around forever for Moody to figure out his kicking woes. Especially if the 49ers shape up to be a Super Bowl contender like they intend to be. Playoff teams don’t want to lack confidence in any of their positions, especially kicker on short field goals that should be automatic.
That competition will become even more important when training camp starts for the 49ers on Thursday July 25, 2025, and 49ers fans will keep a close eye on insider coverage of Moody and Joseph.
Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Las Vegas Raiders for Heavy sports. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman
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