When the Washington Commanders re-signed kicker Jake Moody in March to a one-year deal, fans didn’t think that was enough. It wasn’t that the fans didn’t like Moody, but they didn’t believe he’d done enough in six games to win the kicking job outright.
The Commanders chose not to bring in another veteran to compete with Moody, who made 10 of 11 field goals in six games last season. He had a long of 56 yards.
Washington has had a revolving door at kicker for years. You can understand the angst of fans wanting to find a consistent kicker, especially after seeing teams like the Cowboys find an absolute weapon at kicker. Brandon Aubrey is a former soccer star turned NFL kicker. Now, he’s the best in the NFL, and the highest-paid kicker ever.
When the 2026 NFL Draft passed, and the Commanders didn’t select a kicker on Day 3, many believed that was a mistake. Not general manager Adam Peters. He invited Iowa kicker Drew Stevens to this weekend’s rookie minicamp for a tryout. Once it was clear that the four-time All-Big Ten kicker was receiving interest elsewhere, too, the Commanders signed Stevens.
So, is he in camp just to push Moody, or is he a threat to win the job? According to head coach Dan Quinn, it’s a full-blown competition.
“Yes, at a number of spots,” Quinn answered when asked if Stevens was brought in to provide competition.
“It’s one of the things I love, just promoting that type of competition, and what we’ll do. And so, there’ll be a number of positions that we’ll talk about in the months ahead of where those competitions will be. I honestly feel like that’s how we get the best out of one another. Those competitions at positions, different styles and roles, that’s how it all kind of comes together. And so, whether we’re talking about kicker or center or different spots along the way, we just keep battling for it, and we will see it all the way through.”
This is the right move. While Moody was solid in his brief stint in Washington last season, that’s not enough to commit to him for another full year. Make him earn it. And, in the meantime, you’ve left your options open for potentially finding the next Brandon Aubrey, Cam Little, or Cameron Dicker. If Moody wins the competition, then he will have earned it, and that’s even better for the Commanders.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn confirms competition