49ers roster: 4 players who should probably retire after 2021

While it’s none of our business to tell these 49ers players to call it a career, these four Niners may want to consider life after football this offseason.

With all due respect to the players on this list, a number of San Francisco 49ers players should probably think about retiring now that the Niners’ 2021 campaign has officially come to a close with a heartbreaking loss in the 2022 NFC Championship game.

No, this isn’t a “call out” of these players for being terrible and therefore they need to retire, the kind of kneejerk reactions you might see from the more volatile portions of the fanbase. Even in regard to wherever some of these players are in their respective careers, they’re still part of the elite minuscule percentage of professional athletes who competed at the highest level of football.

Instead, it might just be a helpful admission for these four players on why it might be best to call it quits this offseason.

Of course, no one will fault them if they attempt to cash in on more paychecks by extending their careers just a little bit longer.

But for our purposes, these four San Francisco players should probably consider it a career.

No. 4: 49ers Kicker Robbie Gould

Of all the players listed here who shouldn’t consider retiring just yet, veteran kicker Robbie Gould is certainly tops among them.

Essentially, he has $5.5 million reasons why 2021 shouldn’t be his last season at the pro level, according to Over the Cap.

All of that is fully guaranteed money, too, and things get a little dicey when it comes to determining how much would be owed if he suddenly felt it best to retire after a 17-year career.

But Gould, who just turned 39 years old and has longed to return to his native Chicago area to be with his family, might want to forego that final year of his deal to get back with his family anyway. He’s already a darkhorse candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Gould’s notable postseason accolades as a specialist should be appreciated.

Even if his 87-percent field-goal mark in 2021 was only in the strict middle of the pack, quite the outlier for his substantial contract worth $3.625 million, annually.

Money might prevent him from considering retirement just yet. But if he did, it wouldn’t be shocking whatsoever.