49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Kicker Robbie Gould
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s 2019 “Who Is?” series takes a look at a San Francisco 49ers player with some controversy, kicker Robbie Gould, and what his impact will be this season.
Barring anything crazy, veteran kicker Robbie Gould will be kicking for the San Francisco 49ers in 2019.
Beyond that, though, it’s anyone’s guess.
Gould was hit with the franchise tag after he and the Niners front office failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal. One might see the signs Gould never wanted to re-sign with San Francisco, instead hoping to test the free-agent market and likely sign with his hometown Chicago Bears.
The tag nullified that, though, meaning the 49ers are keeping one of the best kickers in their franchise history at a cost just shy of $5 million for 2019.
| 20-2 | 20-2 | 30-3 | 30-3 | 40-4 | 40-4 | 50+ | 50+ | Scor | Scor | Scor | Scor | Scor | Scor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | Lng | FG% | XPA | XPM | XP% |
| 2005 | 23 | CHI | K | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 21 | 45 | 77.8% | 20 | 19 | 95.0% | ||
| 2006*+ | 24 | CHI | K | 6 | 6 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 36 | 32 | 49 | 88.9% | 47 | 47 | 100.0% | ||
| 2007 | 25 | CHI | K | 7 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 36 | 31 | 49 | 86.1% | 33 | 33 | 100.0% | |
| 2008 | 26 | CHI | K | 6 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 29 | 26 | 48 | 89.7% | 41 | 41 | 100.0% | ||
| 2009 | 27 | CHI | K | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 85.7% | 33 | 33 | 100.0% |
| 2010 | 28 | CHI | K | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 25 | 54 | 83.3% | 35 | 35 | 100.0% |
| 2011 | 29 | CHI | K | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 28 | 57 | 87.5% | 37 | 37 | 100.0% |
| 2012 | 30 | CHI | K | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 21 | 54 | 84.0% | 33 | 33 | 100.0% |
| 2013 | 31 | CHI | K | 11 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 29 | 26 | 58 | 89.7% | 46 | 45 | 97.8% |
| 2014 | 32 | CHI | K | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 45 | 75.0% | 29 | 28 | 96.6% | |
| 2015 | 33 | CHI | K | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 39 | 33 | 55 | 84.6% | 29 | 28 | 96.6% |
| 2016 | 34 | NYG | K | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 47 | 100.0% | 23 | 20 | 87.0% | ||
| 2017 | 35 | SFO | K | 8 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 41 | 39 | 52 | 95.1% | 30 | 28 | 93.3% |
| 2018 | 36 | SFO | K | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 33 | 53 | 97.1% | 29 | 27 | 93.1% |
| Care | Care | 106 | 105 | 128 | 117 | 135 | 105 | 37 | 29 | 408 | 358 | 58 | 87.7% | 465 | 454 | 97.6% | ||
| 11 y | 11 y | CHI | 86 | 86 | 101 | 90 | 103 | 75 | 31 | 23 | 323 | 276 | 58 | 85.4% | 383 | 379 | 99.0% | |
| 2 yr | 2 yr | SFO | 17 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 75 | 72 | 53 | 96.0% | 59 | 55 | 93.2% | |
| 1 yr | 1 yr | NYG | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 47 | 100.0% | 23 | 20 | 87.0% |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/1/2019.
It’s partially understanding why the Niners wanted to retain Gould. After all, his 97.1 field-goal percentage last year led the league, and it’s shocking he wasn’t given a Pro Bowl nod the last two seasons.
That said, Gould subsequently asked for a trade, which San Francisco declined to offer.
How much issue will this create for Gould and the 49ers this upcoming season? Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series takes a deeper look.
Why Robbie Gould Improves in 2019
Honestly, it’s hard to suggest Gould will improve this upcoming season. After all, leading the league in field-goal percentage is about as good as it gets, especially considering he missed just one field goal the entire season.
Extra points were locked in, too, so there’s not much of a concern there.
Perhaps the only way Gould would showcase any improvement would be if he was recognized for his efforts with a Pro Bowl selection. He already received one back in 2006 with the Bears, and his stats that year were worse than what he’s posted with the Niners the last two years.
Consistency, perhaps, will be the name of the game in 2019.
Why Robbie Gould Regresses
Gould has seen drop offs in production and consistency before, namely back in 2015, which ultimately led to Chicago parting ways with him.
It’s possible something like that takes place again in San Francisco. After all, Levi’s Stadium isn’t exactly the most friendly kicking venue in the league, and winds coming in off the bay can create all kinds of problems at various times of the year.
One could also wonder if Gould’s contractual situation creates some sort of on-field regression, too, although that’s mere speculation at this point.
Expected Role with the 49ers in 2019
Gould has yet to sign his franchise tender, which isn’t great. And while he’s unlikely to go through some massive holdout situation, a la what running back Le’Veon Bell did with the Pittsburgh Steelers a year ago, it wouldn’t be a shock to see some additional news surrounding Gould and the 49ers between now and Week 1.
The Niners want Gould in their ranks simply because of his reliability. While kickers aren’t exactly the most prized possession on a 53-man roster, they can easily win or lose games. San Francisco took this into consideration when it placed the franchise tag on him during the offseason.
Whether or not that was the right idea is up for debate, but it happened. Gould turning down the near-$5 million in fully guaranteed salary would be silly as well.
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If the 49ers offense clicks into better gear this season, particularly in the red zone, it’s possible Gould’s overall numbers take a small hit, while seeing a hopeful increase in extra points.
As long as the percentage stays close to what it was last year, though, it won’t matter much.