The San Francisco 49ers, who play the host Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, signed kicker Matthew Wright to a one-year contract on Tuesday.
Starting kicker Jake Moody sustained a high ankle sprain in the second quarter of the 49ers’ 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and will not be available. Moody was trying to tackle Cardinals returner DeeJay Dallas on a kickoff and was knocked backward, with his body folding over his right (kicking) leg.
Wright, 28, has played in 24 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2020, 2022), Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), Kansas City Chiefs (2022) and Carolina Panthers (2023). He has made 40 of 47 field-goal attempts, with a long kick of 59 yards, and 35 of 37 extra-point attempts. Wright has 23 touchbacks in 83 kickoffs.
He was on the 49ers’ practice squad from Sept. 4-9, 2023, and was released by the Steelers at the end of the 2024 preseason.
The 49ers also worked out kickers Randy Bullock, Riley Patterson, Anders Carlson and Matt Coghlin, according to ESPN.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said that safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) is expected to miss about a month because of torn wrist ligaments. Hufanga, 25, has played in two games this season, both starts, and has eight tackles.