Old Friend of Vikings Signs with 49ers
It’s on to the next one for Greg Joseph.
Ex-Vikings specialist Greg Joseph has chosen the San Francisco 49ers as his next place of employment.
The South African former Minnesota Vikings kicker is on the move yet again, signing a deal with the San Francisco 49ers on Friday.
Joseph will battle incumbent kicker Jake Moody this summer for San Francisco’s kicker assignment.
Greg Joseph to the 49ers
NBC Sports‘ Charean Williams detailed on Friday, “The 49ers said they would bring in competition for their kicking job, and they have. Agent Brett Tessler announced that free agent kicker Greg Joseph has agreed to terms with San Francisco on a one-year deal. The 49ers made Jake Moody a third-round pick in 2023, and he went 21-of-25 on field goals as a rookie.”
“Moody, though, made only 24-of-34 field goals last season, with his 70.6-percent success rate ranking 33rd among all NFL kickers with 10 or more made field goals. He started last season 13-of-14 but returned from a high-ankle sprain to convert just 11 of 20 attempts.”
It’s a familiar arrangement for Joseph, no stranger to summer kicking competitions.
A Kicking Battle Ahead
The 49ers used the aforementioned 3rd-Round capital on Moody two years ago, a selection that turned heads because kickers can typically be found from undrafted free agency. Otherwise, later rounds are ideal for kickers. For example, Minnesota used a 6th-Round pick on Will Reichard in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Moody has not lived up to expectations — probably why the 3rd Round is frowned upon for picking kickers.
Joseph will have a puncher’s chance this summer to dethrone Moody.
Joseph’s Busy NFL Resume
Here’s Joseph’s body of work to date:
- Miami Dolphins (2018)
- Cleveland Browns (2018)
- Carolina Panthers (2019)
- Tennessee Titans (2019)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)
- Minnesota Vikings (2021–2023)
- Green Bay Packers (2024)
- Detroit Lions (2024)
- New York Giants (2024)
- Washington Commanders (2024)
- New York Jets (2024)
- San Francisco 49ers (2025–present)
Make no mistake, the guy is a journeyman.
Tenure with the Vikings
Joseph held down the fort at kicker for the Vikings in three seasons. He wasn’t necessarily “hot and cold” because he delivered when Minnesota needed him the most. However, Joseph utilized a bizarre tendency throughout most of his Minnesota stay.
With games on the line — pressure-cooked situations — Joseph was most dependable, trustworthy late in games to score winning kicks over opponents. Fans rejoiced at his clutch gene.
Aside from game-winning situations, though, Joseph struggled to consistently hit “normal” field goals and ranked near the NFL’s bottom tier in accuracy. He also battled extra points, which created eye rolls among fans.
Joseph will hope the consistency stabilizes in San Francisco if he upsets Moody for the top job.
Minnesota opted against re-signing Joseph during 2024 free agency and drafted Reichard several weeks later.
49ers-Themed Media on Greg Joseph
NinersNation.com‘s Kyle Posey wrote about the Joseph signing, “Joseph, 30, spent time with the New York Giants last season and bounced around on a couple of teams during the latter half of the season. Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer knows what Joseph is capable of, as one of those teams was the New York Jets.”
“In 2024, Joseph made all 11 of his extra-point attempts and went 16-for-20 on his field goals, but he was only 5-for-8 from 40-49 yards and 1-for-2 from 50+ yards. Joseph made 80 percent of his field goal attempts in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings. However, he was 3-for-6 from 40-40 yards and 4-for-7 from 50+ yards. Joseph missed two of his 38 extra-point attempts.”
Generally speaking, it’s probably a safe bet to assume Moody will prevail in the battle this summer.
Posey added, “And if we go back one previous season, where Joseph was also with the Vikings, his percentage drops to 78 on 33 attempts. That year, Joseph made seven of his eight attempts from 40-49 yards, missed six of his ten attempts from 50+ yards, and missed six of his 46 extra point attempts.”
“Unsurprisingly, the competition on the market isn’t top-tier at this point in the offseason. We’ll see if this ends up being an actual competition or if Moody is pushed at all, but we have our answer as to who the other kicker is to compete with Moody.”
Joseph will turn 31 this summer.
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