After spending six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Robbie Gould was allowed to test the free agent market in the spring of 2023 after his representation failed to come to terms on a new contract with John Lynch and the front office. While the 49ers have moved on at least somewhat, trading “a conditional swap of late-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft” for Zane Gonzalez, according to the team’s website, Gould remains on the free agent market and thus could sign with any team he likes, including with the 49ers, as he has yet to agree to a new contract in free agency.
Why hasn’t Gould settled on a new team? According to the man himself in an interview with NFL.com on Thursday from the PGA Tour Champions Invited Celebrity Classic, he’s simply waiting for the right opportunity, as he would like to add “Super Bowl Champion” to his resume before his playing days are done.
“Well first, I want to win a Super Bowl, obviously that means a lot to me. And secondly, it comes down to wanting to be able to score 2,000 points, maybe hit 500 field goals, and ultimately just win,” Gould said. “It’s been fun for me to be in now my fifth NFC championship, three in San Francisco and two in Chicago, and having the ability to play at that level, it gets me excited. So any time I can find a team where I’m getting that opportunity, then there’s nothing like playoff football.”
In the past, the 49ers have noted that they haven’t completely closed the door on Gould, signifying that a reunion could be in the works in the future, depending on how things shake out. For now, though, San Francisco appears happy to have Gonzalez on the roster, as he checks many of the boxes teams look for in a professional kicker.
The San Francisco 49ers Like Zane Gonzalez’s Stuff
After acquiring Gonzalez from the Carolina Panthers on March 24, 2023, Lynch took to the podium to address the 49ers’ new kicker and explained why the team felt comfortable with his acquisition.
“Our special teams coaches have liked [Gonzalez], his talent, his ability,” Lynch said after the trade via 49ers WebZone. “So we’re excited to get a talented kicker, and we’ll see whether we add competition. But he’s been a guy in this league. He’s got a big leg. He’s got a lot of talent. Our guys were excited to work with him.”
Initially drafted into the NFL in the seventh round by Cleveland in 2017, Gonzalez has appeared in games for three different teams, the Browns, The Arizona Cardinals, and the Panthers, whom he played for in 2021 for 12 games. Gonzalez has appeared in 63 games, has a career field goal percentage of 80.5, and has even tried his hands at punting, booting four balls over his career, one in Cleveland, two in Arizona, and one more in Carolina.
If Gonzalez can build on his strong campaign in 2021, which saw him complete 90.9 percent of his kicks and 95.7 percent of his extra point attempts, the 49ers might not have to consider re-signing Gould, who would prefer to play a bit closer to his home in Chicago anyway.
Robbie Gould Adds More Context to his Team Search
Elsewhere in his interview with NFL.com, Gould was asked about where he would like to play his 19th professional season. Though Gould didn’t name-check any teams in particular, he did provide some insight into the geographical locations he would prefer.
“Obviously I want to play closer to home, that’s one of the big things that’s meant a lot to me, and we’re filtering through those opportunities, and waiting for the right time to be able to do that,” Gould said. “I’d love to win if possible, so I’m kind of being a little picky with that, but at 40 years old and playing 18 years in the league, I think I’ve earned the ability to do that.”
A proud president of Chicago, Illinois, Gould has about a dozen teams to choose from if he wants to keep his options to the mid-west, with the NFC North the most centralized around the greater Chicagoland Area. One team who isn’t in that geographic area, however, is the 49ers, which may impact a potential Gould reunion even more.
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Ex-49er Robbie Gould Opens Up About his Free Agency Process