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LAS VEGAS -- In this town of favorites and underdogs, the Super Bowl kicking matchup between Harrison Butker and Jake Moody fits the narrative nicely.
Moody is the challenger, a rookie who missed key kicks in a couple losses and has had some shaky moments during these playoffs. Butker is the champion, a veteran who has come through in the clutch for Kansas City throughout his career and provided the winning points for the Chiefs when they won it all last year.
The kickers have been an afterthought in most Super Bowls, but in a close game they can make all the difference. Butker's 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds left gave the Chiefs a 38-35 win over Philadelphia in last season's Super Bowl.
Butker is 7 for 7 on field goals this postseason and went 33 of 35 during the regular season. He's one of several big-name kickers Moody has gone up against in his first NFL season.
"Justin Tucker and Matt Prater, Dustin Hopkins, just to name a couple. It's always cool just meeting these guys and kind of like trying to pick their brain a little bit," Moody said. "Those are the guys I grew up watching. To be able to play against them on the same field, that's a pretty cool feeling. Butker's another name to add."
Moody was a standout in college at Michigan and was drafted in the third round by the 49ers. He only missed four field goals during the regular season, but one was at the end of a two-point loss to Cleveland. He also missed a field goal and an extra point in a one-point loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
He's had a miss and a kick blocked in the playoffs, but he also made a big 52-yarder in the divisional round.
"Although I've had some ups and downs, some good moments, some bad moments, it's been a good year to learn from," he said. "I'm glad everything's worked out the way it has. Obviously, we're in the Super Bowl, so it's been a pretty cool year."
As far as injuries go ahead of Sunday's big game, the 49ers are healthy, with no one on the active roster listed with an injury designation Friday.
"Guys have worked hard these two weeks," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "The guys who have been banged up, they've done everything possible to be healthy for this game. It's our first time everyone is full and healthy. It's the right game to have it that way."
Backup defensive tackle Kalia Davis, who is currently on injured reserve but has practiced this week, was listed as questionable for San Francisco with an ankle injury. Davis is not expected to be activated on Saturday to play in the game.
For the Chiefs, All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney was ruled out because of a pectoral injury.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, though, appear ready to go.
Rice was a full participant in practice Friday after he was stepped on near the end of the previous day's workout, while Edwards-Helaire also put in a full practice after dealing with an illness earlier in the week.
The only player that the Chiefs listed as questionable on the final injury report was running back Jerick McKinnon, who remains on injured reserve after surgery in January for a core muscle injury. The Chiefs have until Saturday afternoon to add him onto the active roster for the Super Bowl, though Reid described his chances of playing as "slim" earlier in the week.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid insisted all week he wasn't counting Thuney out, right through the end of a 66-minute workout Friday at the practice facility of the AFC West-rival Raiders. But given Thuney had not practiced since before he was hurt in the divisional round in Buffalo, it had become increasingly clear that Nick Allegretti would get the start in his place.
The longtime backup has done this before. Allegretti also started the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay in 2021 because of injuries.
"Next-man-up mentality," Chiefs right guard Trey Smith said. "Nick is a consummate professional. He'll be ready to go. He's done a great job these past couple of weeks of preparation. Our coaches will have us prepared and Nick will do great."