New 49ers kicker Wright prepared for a Hurricane as the drafted team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA – Matthew Wright was in Tampa, Florida, on Monday, trying to pack as many of his belongings as possible in preparation for Hurricane Milton, when his agent called with a job offer.
Amid the madness, Wright was told the 49ers had an open spot on their roster due to kicker Jake Moody’s high ankle sprain, which will likely sideline him for at least a month and could land him on Injured Reserve.
Before boarding a plane to the West Coast, Wright was able to gather many of his belongings and get them out of trouble. He also managed to get his wife out of harm’s way before the hurricane – upgraded to a Category 5 storm – was expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening.
“My house is about to get hit by a hurricane, so I was packing,” Wright said Tuesday. ‘We are doing well. My wife left. It’s all good.”
The 49ers officially signed Wright on Tuesday, two days before a primetime showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.
This isn’t the first time the 49ers have looked at Wright as a possible fill-in for Moody. He spent a week with San Francisco in 2023 when Shanahan and his coaching staff weren’t sure if Moody — injured at the time — would be available to kick.
Before the rush to pack up and run, and before the call from his agent, Wright had gone through the same daily routine he had set for himself since being released by the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of training camp.
Three times a week, Wright went to his backyard and began a daily kicking regimen, following much the same schedule as when he was on a team.
“It’s mainly what I’ve done is try to treat every week – even when I’m not on a team – as if I’m on a team,” Wright said. “Preparing my kick count, what I do mentally, having a mock game day for myself.”
Wright has certainly been on a lot of teams.
After initially signing with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Wright spent 2021 with Jacksonville and then earned a Super Bowl ring while filling in for Kansas City in 2022. He was with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 and spent this season a training camp in Pittsburgh. .
Along the way, Wright has built quite a name for himself. He has converted 40 of 47 attempts in 24 games in his career.
For now, he will fill in for the 49ers while Moody recovers from his injured ankle. Moody was wearing walking boots and using crutches as he walked through the team’s locker room at Levi’s Stadium on Tuesday.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said injuries like Moody’s typically require a month or more of rehabilitation and did not rule out the second-year kicker being placed on IR if the situation persists or worsens.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
