© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers applied their franchise tag to kicker Robbie Gould so they wouldn’t face this issue.
On Tuesday, however, Gould told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he has requested a trade and won’t negotiate a long-term deal with the club.
“The bottom line is, I’m unsure if I want to play there anymore,” Gould told Schefter. “At this point, I have to do what’s best for me and my family back home.”
By tagging Gould, the 49ers thought that, at the very least, he would be a 49er throughout the 2019 season. The 49ers have sounded optimistic about extending Gould to a multi-year deal, and those talks had been ongoing, according to general manager John Lynch. Gould has consistently praised the 49ers as an organization, dubbing the locker room as the best in his 14 years.
But Gould’s tone has evidently shifted in recent weeks. He has not signed his franchise tender. It has become obvious that he would like to remain in Chicago, where he played 11 NFL seasons and his family permanently resides. According to Schefter, if Gould reports to the 49ers at all, “that will not be before the 49ers’ Sept. 8 regular-season opener, making him a summer holdout.”
So, what’s plan B?
The 49ers could either draft a kicker later this week or sign a current free agent. Here are five free-agent kickers the 49ers could target.
Matt Bryant
On a couple different occasions during the 2018 season, Kyle Shanahan was asked about his confidence in Gould compared to other kickers throughout his coaching career. Shanahan praised Gould but brought up Bryant, unprompted.
From December:
“With Matt Bryant, I had (a high level of confidence),” Shanahan said. “Matt Bryant did very well. Besides that, I’ve always thought we had to get to the 20 (yard line) before I wanted to not go for it. Robbie’s changed that.”
From September:
“You get scarred over the years and stuff,” Shanahan said. “I used to want to go for it every single time because it’s whatever your experiences are. I’ve had some bad years experiences. It was pretty good in Atlanta. Matt Bryant did a real good job.”
Bryant, 43, is currently a free agent. By all accounts, he is looking to continue his career. He connected on a career-best 95.2 percent of kicks in 2018, the third-best mark in the league, behind Gould and Pro Bowler Aldrick Rosas. With an 86.2 percent clip, Bryant is currently the eighth-most accurate kicker in NFL history.
Shanahan worked with Bryant for two years in Atlanta. He seems like the most sensible choice, at least in the short term, should the 49ers replace Gould.
Dan Bailey
One of the best six-year stretches for a kicker in NFL history preceded an up-and-down two years for Dan Bailey. From 2011 to 2016, Bailey connected on 89.5 percent of his field goal attempts for the Dallas Cowboys. In the past two seasons, however, he has made just 75 percent of his kicks, comfortably below the league average.
Bailey, once a premier kicker, is unemployed due to his recent struggles. But he’s still the fifth-most accurate ever at the position. At 31 years old, he seemingly has many years left.
Phil Dawson
Here’s a familiar face. Four of Dawson’s 20 NFL seasons came with the 49ers, and he was reliable throughout that span. He made 86.1 percent of his field goal attempts with the club.
In his two years since leaving the 49ers, he made 77.1 percent of his field goal tries. His 2018 season with the Arizona Cardinals ended after 10 games due to a hip injury.
Chandler Catanzaro
Catanzaro, 28, was terrific in his first two seasons, connecting on 89.1 percent of field goal attempts with the Arizona Cardinals. He hasn’t been as accurate since. In the following three seasons, spent with four different teams, his success rate dipped to 79.5 percent. But he can boot it — Catanzaro has makes of 60, 59, and 57 yards in the past three seasons.
Cairo Santos
Santos, 27, is the youngest option on this list. He holds an 83.2-percent lifetime field goal clip, but he has bounced around four NFL teams in the past two seasons. In those years, he went 18-23 but missed on five of eight field goal tries of 40 or more yards.