San Francisco 49ers will most likely have to find a new kicker for 2019. Starter Robbie Gould decided to pull out of long-term contract negotiations with the team and asked to be traded.
Back in February, the 49ers placed a franchise tag on Gould while also pursuing other solutions on the position including New England Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski. This, combined with lengthy negotiations, caused Gould to withdraw his contract proposal and inform the organization that he doesn’t intend to sign long-term with them.
“The bottom line is, I’m unsure if I want to play there anymore,” – Gould told ESPN. “At this point, I have to do what’s best for me and my family back home.”
San Francisco 49ers, on the other hand, have no doubts about their wishes to keep Robbie Gould on the roster for years to come.
“Robbie’s going to be a part of us this coming year, I know that,” – San Franciso’s general manager John Lynch told reporters on Monday. “We would like it to be longer than that. We’ve made an attempt to make that happen. We haven’t come to an agreement as of yet and we’ll see where that goes, but Robbie will be a part of us this coming year. We’re excited for that because he’s very good at what he does and he’s also a big part of this team.”
Gould’s trade request puts the 49ers in a tough spot as they have no solid backup kicker option on their roster. The team will now probably start thinking about getting one either on free agent market or in the upcoming draft.
Since joining San Francisco in 2017, Gould established himself as one of the league’s best kickers, having made 72 field goals out of 75 attempted. His career highlights include Pro Bowl selection and First Team All-Pro honors in 2006.
