Commanders Have Released Kicker Matt Gay On First Day Of Bye Week; Jake Moody Signed

Kicker Matt Gay signing autograph after Commanders’ game at Northwest Stadium before entering the tunnel. (Marcus Relacion / The Washington Informer)

On Monday, the first day of the bye week, the Washington Commanders officially made a change at the kicker position. After a struggling performance in Sunday’s 16-13 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Commanders have released Matt Gay. 

“[General Manager] Adam [Peters] and I visited with Matt today,” said Head Coach Dann Quinn. “Matt has been a fantastic teammate here and an all-time good dude. So yeah, we’re really bummed that it didn’t work out and we felt like this was the change that we needed.”

Gay missed field goal attempts at 51 and 56 yards against the Dolphins, pushing both kicks wide right, an issue that he has struggled throughout the season. The 56 yard field goal attempt would have secured a win for Washington in regulation. 

“I missed that kick to win the game so it sucks, it’s tough. That’s on me,” said kicker Matt Gay. “We would have won that game if that kick was in. So good snap, good operation from the guys, good protection. I just missed, so that’s on me.” 

The 31-year-old kicker has converted 13-of-19 field goal attempts this season and has remained perfect on extra points, recording 22-of-22. But he connected on only 68% of his field goals in Washington. 

The Commanders signed Gay in early March to a one-year, fully guaranteed $4.25 million contract after being released from the Indianapolis Colts. Which is the richest guarantee given to a kicker on a single-season contract. 

However, Washington cycled through various kickers in 2024. They had hoped that Gay would have brought stability at the kicker position, but instead they will once again have to find another leg. At least this time, they can use the bye week to evaluate their options. 

“When they’re hard like this one because of who the person is, it makes it especially difficult but you still gotta make the decisions that you think are best for the team,” said Quinn.

Washington Has Signed Jake Moody As Their Next Kicker After Releasing Matt Gay In The Same Day 

The Washington Commanders have identified their next kicker. The team has signed Jake Moody off the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, just hours after releasing Matt Gay. 

Moody, a 2023 third round pick by the San Francisco 49ers, has had an eventful season of his own. The 49ers cut him after he missed a pair of kicks in Week 1.

He later resurfaced in Chicago appearing in Week 6 and 7. In those two games he made 8-of-9 field goal attempts and was perfect on three extra points. Across his first two NFL seasons, Moody has converted 45 of 59 field goals. 

Now 25, Moody is expected to take over Washington’s kicking duties as the team is looking to have more consistency and stability in their kicking game.