The 49ers expect to be without their kicker for some time.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals that Moody suffered a sprained ankle.

“Yeah, they’re going to work on it right away,” Shanahan said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “The kickers are almost independent contractors, so we will get them involved as quickly as possible and find the best guy we can. I’m sure it will take a few weeks. I’m not sure (about the severity of the injury), but I know they told me a high-ankle shoeand it’s never that fast.”

Moody suffered the injury while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff in the second quarter.

“I mean, you try to tackle it,” Shanahan said. “You don’t tell guys to keep their ankle out of it. You hope it doesn’t happen to him and he doesn’t have to make a tackle, but you also don’t tell the guys to reject it and just let them score. It’s part of football.”

Moody was seen wearing a walking boot after the game and is expected to undergo an MRI to get a full understanding of the injury.

The 49ers currently do not have another kicker on their practice squad and desperately need to add one as they play the Seahawks on Thursday night. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky kicked a 26-yard field goal late in the first half. The 49ers didn’t score after halftime and lost 24-23.