It was a moody night for the Chicago Bears, but in the best way possible.
After weeks after only being on the practice squad, the Bears’ Jake Moody finally got a chance to take the field Monday night against the Commanders, after starting kicker Cairo Santos was listed as inactive due to an injury.
Following three successful field goals from the 47, 48 and 41-yard lines the first and third quarters– and then a blocked attempt on the opening play of the fourth — he started to make a name for himself.
And as the clock ran out at the end of the game, Moody, who was cut by the San Francisco 49ers last month, had a last-second, 38-yard field goal to put Chicago over the edge, beating Washington 25-24.
Moments after the kick, the team hoisted Moody up in victory and chanted his name — which some of them had just learned.
MOODY! MOODY! MOODY! pic.twitter.com/fq7OC0vntS
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 14, 2025
“I didn’t necessarily fully know who he was when he got here,” Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said after the game. “Being able to hear about his story when he got here … I know he’s been through some tough moments. So having this moment for him, I know, is important. It’s important for us.”
Running back DeAndre Swift also admitted he had just met Moody for the first time.
“I introduced myself to him on the sideline,” Swift said with a big smile after accounting for 175 yards from scrimmage and a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown. “First time I spoke to him. He did a great job. … Happy to have him on the team.”
Moody went from high NFL draft pick by San Francisco in 2023 to playing in the Super Bowl for the 49ers to a guy without a job after coach Kyle Shanahan’s club cut him for missing two kicks in Week 1 this season.
Just before Week 2, Moody, originally from Northville, Michigan, joined the Bears’ practice squad.
“It’s a pretty cool series of events. A couple days ago, I didn’t know I was playing,” said Moody. “To get lifted up by my teammates, it’s an amazing feeling. Really glad I got to share that.”
According to the Chicago Bears, Moody played at the University of Michigan from 2018 to 2022, appearing in a program-record 60 career games and amassing a school-record 355 points scored. Moody earned All-America honors following each of his final two seasons at Michigan, including consensus recognition in 2021 after converting 23-of-25 field goal attempts and making all 56 of his PATs for the Big Ten Conference champions, the Bears’ said.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said he never had a doubt about the final make — even after Moody had a 48-yard attempt blocked on the initial play of the last period.
“We’ve seen him in practice now for a number of weeks, and we know what he’s capable of. He’s made big kicks in big games over the course of his career so far. None of it was surprising,” Johnson said. “I think that’s who he is, and I think that change of scenery was really good for him.”
“I’m glad to be on the team. Glad to be a part of this,” Moody said. “Can’t wait to formally meet everybody else at some point.”
Up next
Chicago, now 3-2 and 4th in the NFC North, returns home to Soldier Field to face the NFC-worst New Orleans Saints (1-5) at 12 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19.
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