Jake Moody had only been on the Chicago Bears active roster for seven hours. By the time the clock hit zero, he had already made history. The 25-year-old kicker, elevated from the practice squad earlier Monday because starter Cairo Santos was sidelined with a thigh injury, drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Bears to a thrilling 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.
Moody, who joined Chicago’s practice squad on Sept. 13 after being released by San Francisco, became the first Bears kicker ever to hit a walk-off field goal in his team debut. As his kick split the uprights through wet, gusty conditions at Northwest Stadium, Moody was mobbed by teammates and carried off the field in celebration.
“It’s surreal,” Moody said postgame. “I just wanted to give the guys a chance to win. Cairo was incredible helping me stay calm and prepared all week.”
Moody, a 2023 third-round draft pick of the 49ers, was released after missing two field goals in San Francisco’s season opener against Seattle. Monday night, he redeemed himself in dramatic fashion, going 4-for-5 on field goals, connecting from 47, 48, and 41 yards before drilling the game-winner with three seconds remaining.
His only miss—a blocked 48-yarder early in the fourth quarter—nearly proved costly. Washington capitalized on the short field, with Jayden Daniels finding Zach Ertz for a touchdown to put the Commanders ahead 24-16. But Moody’s night, like Chicago’s, was about resilience.
The Bears responded quickly. On the next drive, D’Andre Swift took a short pass from Caleb Williams and turned it into a 55-yard touchdown, slicing Washington’s lead to 24-22. Chicago’s defense then gave the offense another chance late when Daniels fumbled a handoff exchange with rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt near midfield.
With 3:07 left, the Bears began their winning march. Leaning on Swift and the ground game, Chicago methodically chewed the clock to set up Moody’s winning try.
Swift was electric, posting 175 total yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, his best performance since joining Chicago this offseason.
“We all met Jake this week, but you could feel his confidence,” Swift said. “When I saw him warming up on the jumbotron, I knew he was gonna nail it.”
The Bears’ victory mirrored their Week 4 win at Las Vegas, which also ended 25-24 when Chicago blocked a last-second Raiders field goal. Monday’s result improves the Bears to 3-2, marking their first back-to-back wins since 2022.
For Washington (3-3), the loss spoiled another promising night from Daniels, who threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns but was undone by late mistakes.
The celebration was tempered by concern for DJ Moore, who was taken from the stadium in an ambulance for a precautionary medical evaluation after playing nearly every snap of the final drive. The veteran receiver appeared shaken up in the second quarter after a hard hit to the midsection but stayed in the game. He finished with three receptions for 42 yards and two carries for 10 yards.
The Bears said Moore will remain in the D.C. area overnight for further tests.
As the rain fell and the crowd held its breath, Moody’s 38-yarder split the uprights cleanly—an improbable ending for a kicker who had introduced himself to several teammates during the game.
For a player whose NFL journey began with doubt, the redemption was sweet.
