49ers kicker Jake Moody got off to a good start in 2024, but missed time with an ankle injury and was far less effective once he returned to action.

Moody missed one field goal and made all his extra point tries in the first five weeks of the season, but went 11-of-20 on field goals in his final nine appearances of the season. That’s led to some calls for the 49ers to look for other options than the 2023 third-round pick, but General Manager John Lynch said this week that the team believes the injury contributed to the poor play down the stretch.

“We’ve had really honest discussions with Jake, and I know that’s a hot button,” Lynch said, via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “We still have a lot of belief in him. We believe that the injury had a lot to do with all that.”

That belief doesn’t mean the team won’t consider adding a kicker. Lynch said that “may be a route we go.”

“Someone else to insulate us,” Lynch said. “But like I said, we have belief that he will rise to the top, so that’s something to keep tabs on if we do decide to bring someone in. We’re very hopeful that Jake, what we had envisioned for him, is still very possible.”

Moody was 21-of-25 on field goals and 60-of-61 on extra points as a rookie. He was 6-of-8 on field goals and 8-of-9 on extra points in the postseason.