What Robbie Gould’s trade request means for the 49ers
With the bombshell report that kicker Robbie Gould requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers, Niner Noise breaks down how it impacts the team
Who ever said that kickers don’t matter?
A position many fans take for granted is now becoming the major talking point for the San Francisco 49ers entering the draft, following the bombshell report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Robbie Gould has requested a trade and will not sign long-term with the Niners:
In a turn of events, 49ers’ franchise kicker Robbie Gould has pulled his contract proposals that he sent to San Francisco and told the team he will not negotiate or sign a long-term deal with them, and he would like to be traded, Gould said Tuesday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 23, 2019
This move is unprecedented, mostly because a kicker has never had this type of power ever before. But Gould had become the exception. He was arguably the most potent offensive weapon for the 49ers the last two years, a testament to his ability and an indict of the team’s offensive struggles.
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But Gould, the all-time leading scorer for the Chicago Bears, still had close ties to the Chicago region, with his family living in Chicago while he lived out of a hotel in the Bay Area. After the Bears lost in the playoffs due to poor kicking by Cody Parkey, it looked to be a match made in heaven.
Until the 49ers came in and “ruined” the dream.
The Niners played the franchise tag on Gould, making him the highest-paid kicker just under $5 million a year. In theory, the Bears can sign Gould, but they would have to give the 49ers two first-round picks, so it’s safe to say that Gould can only negotiate with the Niners. Niner Noise’s Matt Stephenson actually questioned if Gould would sign the tender, and now we know.
Gould, per the ESPN report, wants to be closer to his family and, at a minimum, will hold out until the regular-season opener.
Lots of drama from a position that you want to forget about.
What Now for the 49ers
For starters, the Niners have no need to comply with Gould’s trade request. I would be shocked if they do. Most likely, the Niners sign an undrafted free agent to compete along with Jonathan Brown, a kicker who actually signed with the team for two years.
If Gould actually sits out for the entire year, he would forfeit nearly $5 million, an exorbitant amount for a kicker. In short, Gould will eventually come back and play. If he doesn’t, the Niners have all of training camp to find a replacement.
The more interesting part of this whole situation is how much a team would pay for the most accurate kicker the last two years. The Bears, desperate for actual kicking, could cause Gould’s trade price to elevate beyond levels we thought possible.
Next. How 49ers DB Tarvarius Moore can change San Francisco’s NFL Draft plans. dark
The 49ers cannot possibly lose in this situation. Even if they trade Gould, they would have recouped value from losing a kicker. That just doesn’t happen in the NFL.