49ers to activate kicker off practice squad with Wright headed to IR

49ers to activate kicker off practice squad with Wright headed to IR originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers will turn to a third kicker in three weeks when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Kicker Matthew Wright has been ruled out of the Super Bowl LVIII rematch and will be placed on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury that he sustained during the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday.

Kicker Anders Carlson will be activated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s game.

Wright, like second-year pro Jake Moody, was injured while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff.

“He’s hurt worse than we expected,” Shanahan said of Wright. “So he can’t get back. And Jake Moody is still week to week with a high ankle sprain, so not expecting him next week either but hopefully after the bye.”

The 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 27 before heading into their Week 9 bye. San Francisco then will return to action Nov. 10 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving Moody additional time to allow his ankle injury, which he sustained in Week 5, to heal.

As for Carlson, who played in 17 games for the Green Bay Packers last season, he won’t be told to completely eschew tackles on kickoffs.

“Definitely is allowed to [tackle] but only in case of an emergency, so I hope he isn’t attacking anything,” Shanahan told reporters. “But if your choice is to just give up a touchdown or not, we’ll always choose to not give up the touchdown. But hopefully he can stay out of harm’s way.”

If Carlson, who made 27 of his 33 field-goal attempts for the Packers last season, can avoid injury, the 49ers won’t have to use a fourth different kicker against the Cowboys.

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