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SANTA CLARA – Another game, another new kicker for the 49ers.
That pattern played out earlier this week when the Red and Gold signed free agent Anders Carlson to their practice squad as insurance after fill-in Matthew Wright separated his shoulder while trying to make a tackle during Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
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The 49ers have been short-handed on special teams since second-year kicker Jake Moody was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
The hope was that Wright would be able to hold the job down until Moody is cleared to return, but he lasted only one week before the 49ers had to go on the search for another kicker.
Unlike Wright, who was packing up his home in Tampa Bay, Fla. to avoid an oncoming hurricane when the 49ers called, Carlson was in Tennessee relaxing when his phone rang.
“I was in Nashville when I got the call for this, eating some dinner,” Carlson said.
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Carlson, whose brother Daniel is the kicker with the Las Vegas Raiders, was a sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers during the 2023 NFL draft. Carlson put up decent numbers as a rookie, converting on 27 of 33 field goal attempts, including three makes on five tries of 50 yards or longer.
After getting released by the Packers during the final wave of roster cuts in training camp this summer, Carlson tried to maintain a weekly kicking routine so he would be ready if a need arose somewhere around the NFL.
“Treat it like you’re still playing,” Carlson said. “Workouts a lot are on Tuesdays so it’s almost like Tuesdays become your game days.”
A few teams made inquiries to Carlson, but nothing very serious materialized until the 49ers called.