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Robbie Gould recoils at purported Bears interest after re-signing with 49ers

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SANTA CLARA – Robbie Gould, the 49ers kicker who requested a trade after the team used its franchise tag on him (and refused to trade him), who made clear that the city of Chicago has “always been home” and who just recently re-signed with the 49ers on a four-year deal with third- and fourth-year options, was less than enthused about the notion that he wanted to return to the Chicago Bears, where he spent the first 11 years of his career, and where his family is based.

“Did I say that?” Gould said to a reporter who asked about the reported interest. “Did I say I wanted to go back to the Bears?”

“No,” the reporter responded.

“Alright, next question,” Gould said.

Earlier in the offseason, Gould had talked to NBC Sports Chicago about his contract situation, and made it abundantly clear his roots are with his family and Chicago.

“It’s a complicated situation,” Gould said then.  “The way I’ve kind of approached it is, I want to spend time with my family. And I let my agent handle it, and if anything comes up that I have to make a decision or be in the know, he’ll call me and let me know. But right now there’s nothing to really know, and I’m just enjoying being home and being in Chicago… I’m at a point in my career where my family is what’s going to dictate the decisions that I make.”

When Gould was asked on Friday whether negotiations ever got contentious, he did not affirm that was the case, but he implied things weren’t pretty.

“Negotiations are unfortunately a part of the business of football,” Gould said “The organization is trying to tell you that you’re not worth a certain value, and you, as a player, are trying to convince them of your worth and your value. Things were done and said, but now it’s behind us, and I’m here and I’m glad the organization stepped up and I’m excited to be back playing football.”

Despite stating in the NBC Sports interview above that “family is what’s going to dictate the decisions I make,” Gould will not spend much time with his family this season. They’ll be staying in Chicago, due, according to Gould, to the fact that the deal was conceived so late in the offseason that he had already enrolled his youngest child in kindergarten in Chicago.

He’ll have chances to see his kids at certain games, like for one of their birthdays against the Baltimore Ravens, and against the Denver Broncos, but Gould will be based in Santa Clara, with opportunities to fly back to Chicago during the 49ers’ bye week. He joked that reporters were free to visit him at the bar of his hotel.

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