49ers’ 2019 ‘Who is?’ series: Kicker Jonathan Brown

The San Francisco 49ers have an interesting situation at kicker heading into training camp, which opens up the possibility Jonathan Brown sticks around for a while.

It’s rare to find any controversy on a football team surrounding its kicker. But that appears to be the case for the San Francisco 49ers, who have a good deal of uncertainty surrounding what will happen with the veteran, franchise-tagged kicker Robbie Gould, between now and the regular season.

Gould, who has yet to sign his franchise tender, likely won’t be around in 2020. And there’s a good chance he won’t show up until training camp and the soonest.

So it made some sense the Niners brought aboard less-known kicker Jonathan Brown on a two-year deal.

Granted, it’s not rare for teams to carry two kickers on a 90-man offseason roster. The backup frequently handles kicking duties during preseason games, saving the veteran from would-be injury risks during meaningless exhibition games.

The two-year deal is interesting, though. Are the 49ers realistically looking at Brown as a long-term option?

Let’s see why he improves between now and roster cuts.

Why Jonathan Brown Improves in 2019

Brown, who played his college ball at Louisville, signed as an undrafted free agent of the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2016, spending the last three training camps with the squad but not appearing in any regular-season game.

In 2018, Brown converted all six of his field-goal tries in the preseason, including one 55 yarder. So, that’s impressive and hints at the possibility of him having a strong leg.

A strong leg might be what helps him stick around for a while as insurance this season, especially if he can master the tricky kicking situations at Levi’s Stadium.

Why Jonathan Brown Regresses

There’s not much to go on for Brown, and nothing by the way of regular-season action. As long as Gould is in the way — there’s little reason to assume he won’t be when the regular season rolls around — Brown’s chances to gain valuable experience and make improvements will be limited.

Kicking at Levi’s Stadium is a difficult undertaking, too. The stadium isn’t exactly known for top-tier field conditions, and the wind coming off San Francisco Bay throughout the northern part of Santa Clara isn’t always friendly during the fall, either.

Simply put, Brown will have to enjoy some eye-popping attempts in camp and the preseason to even make a mark. That will be difficult.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019

As noted earlier, the two-year deal part is interesting. If Gould returns at some point before Week 1, it’s a moot point. The Niners won’t waste an actual roster spot on Brown. But it wouldn’t be shocking if San Francisco engineered some way to keep Brown around into 2020.

Especially if the younger kicker winds up showing some promise during the preseason.

More likely, however, the 49ers are essentially giving Brown an audition for kicking duties once Gould signs on elsewhere in 2020, which seems like a probable scenario. And with a team-friendly contract at hand, the Niners also have a contingency plan in place if Gould somehow decides to sit out this season, which isn’t likely. So look for Brown to be part of team roster cuts before Week 1.

Be prepared to see a lot of Brown during the preseason, though.