The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers aren’t in the same division but they’ve forged a rivalry over the past two seasons. Detroit had a 24-7 lead at halftime of the 2023 NFC Championship Game but a comeback led by Brock Purdy kept the Lions from their first Super Bowl appearance.
The 49ers were on their way to the offseason when the two teams crossed paths again last December but Detroit played like their jobs depended on it, earning a 40-34 win. The victory set the tone for the following week’s showdown with the Minnesota Vikings and gave the Lions the best record in the NFC at 15-2.
While the two teams aren’t scheduled to cross paths this upcoming season, it could happen if both teams play to their potential. It makes a former Lion looking for work an intriguing storyline as he could end up with San Francisco before the end of offseason team activities (OTAs).
49ers Could Be Interested in Former Lions Kicker Matt Prater
There weren’t a lot of positives for the Lions in the 2010s but former kicker Matt Prater was an exception. Prater spent seven years in Detroit after arriving in the 2014 season and was spectacular, hitting 84.4% of his field goal attempts, 95.9% of his extra points and making the Pro Bowl in 2016. Prater’s time in Detroit came to an end after the 2020 season, however and he’s spent the past four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
Prater remained solid in his first three seasons in the desert, knocking down 84.2% of his field goal attempts, 95.6% of his extra points. With his longest make of 62 yards, Prater returned for another season in 2024 but it was cut short after four games with a meniscus injury.
At 41 years old, it may be tough for Prater to find a job on the free agent market. But he could have a suitor in the 49ers.
San Francisco invested a third-round pick on Moody in the 2023 NFL Draft but they haven’t gotten a return on that investment. While he knocked down a respectable 84% of his field goal attempts and 98.4% of his extra points last season, his numbers dropped to 70.6% and 97% on his attempts in his sophomore campaign.
It puts Moody in a situation where he must earn his job this summer but he won’t be alone. The 49ers hired a new special teams coordinator in Brant Boyer and signed veteran long snapper Jon Weeks to help Moody out, but NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan reported that the team would sign a veteran kicker to compete with the young kicker after the draft.
That signing hasn’t happened yet and there are few options that would make sense outside of Prater. Nick Folk, Eddy Pineiro and fellow former Lion Michael Badgley are on the market but Prater has the best track record and could be brought in to at least show what he’s got.
