The 49ers released kicker Zane Gonzalez Tuesday afternoon from the injured reserve with an injury settlement, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. This could mean a couple of different things.
Most importantly, rookie kicker Jake Moody might be progressing enough to the point where San Francisco thinks he’ll be ready for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s the optimistic takeaway from Gonzalez’s release.
Another viewpoint is that Matthew Wright has shown plenty of promise on the practice squad, and, even if Moody needs more time, the 49ers are comfortable rolling with Wright until Moody is healthy.