© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Of the 10 wins in Robbie Gould’s 49ers tenure, he kicked a game-winning field goal in three of them.
Remember San Francisco’s five-game winning streak to close the 2017 season, which effectively cemented Jimmy Garoppolo as the face of the franchise? Gould kicked two game-winners during that stretch.
The 14-year veteran has been as responsible for his team’s success as a kicker can be. He hasn’t just been clutch. He has been historically good, connecting on 72 of 75 field goal attempts in his two seasons with the 49ers, the most accurate two-year stretch for a kicker with at least 50 attempts in NFL history.
Prior to the 2017 season, the 49ers signed Gould to a two-year, $4-million deal, now a major bargain. His contract is set to expire on March 13, the start of the new league year. But the 49ers can secure Gould for another season beginning Tuesday, the first day of the 15-day franchise tag window.
He is the best candidate for the tag for several reasons.
Abundant cap space
The 49ers currently have more than $74 million in cap space. Tagging Gould would cost the 49ers about $5 million, which hardly affects them.
Throughout the past two weeks, the 49ers released veterans Earl Mitchell, Garry Gilliam, and Pierre Garcon, saving about $9 million in 2019. The team will likely part ways with more expendable, expensive veterans in the near future, freeing more cap room.
Lack of other candidates
Teams don’t always use the franchise tag. The 49ers haven’t used the designation in seven years, when they tagged safety Dashon Goldson in 2012.
If the 49ers reach an extension with Gould, which is the most desirable outcome, it’s unlikely they would tag any of their additional 11 free agents. That list includes Alfred Morris, Mike Person, Mark Nzeocha, Jimmie Ward, Antone Exum Jr., Kyle Nelson, Bradley Pinion, Raheem Mostert, Tyvis Powell, Elijah Lee, and Greg Mabin.
Tagging a kicker sounds odd, but it’s not all that rare. Baltimore was the last team that tagged its kicker, in 2016 with Justin Tucker. Five kickers were tagged in 2012.
The conundrum
On Sunday, Gould told Chicago’s 670 The Score he seeks a three-year contract this offseason. He said he would “consider all opportunities” in free agency.
One of those landing spots could be Chicago, where his family permanently resides. Gould spent the first 11 NFL seasons with the Bears and became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in 2015. The team has been unable to find a quality replacement after cutting him prior to the 2016 season.
Gould’s upcoming free agency happens to coincide with Chicago’s need for a kicker. The Bears are likely to move on from Cody Parkey, though he is under contract through 2019. Gould was in attendance as Parkey missed the game-winning kick in the Chicago’s 16-15 wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last month.
“Chicago will always be home,” Gould said on former Bears teammate Earl Bennett’s podcast last week. “I love Bears fans, and I love the city. I’ll always be a Bear, no matter what team I’m on or where I’m going or whatever happens. One day, I’ll probably retire a Bear.”
Gould has also raved about the 49ers locker room, where he has established himself as a leader. Last year, he was voted as one of the team’s five captains.
If he doesn’t want to sign a three-year contract with the 49ers, retaining Gould for one year is a solid consolation. The worst-case scenario is that the 49ers and Gould can’t work out a deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If the team senses that could happen, slapping Gould with the franchise tag before March 5, the final day of the franchise tag period, would be the safe route.
One thing is clear: the 49ers don’t want Gould to slip away. In an era where kickers regularly miss pressure kicks, the 36-year-old has become that much more valuable.