Last week, the San Francisco 49ers seemingly filled their kicker vacancy by trading for Zane Gonzalez, formerly of the Carolina Panthers. Robbie Gould, the team's kicker since 2017, remains a free agent. The 49ers undoubtedly wanted him back but could no longer afford to grant the 40-year-old the kind of money he sought.
Is Gonzalez the answer for the 49ers? He's an answer, but not necessarily the answer in Santa Clara.
"I think it's a move," 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters on Monday during the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona.
The Panthers planned to release Gonzalez, prompting Lynch to call his Panthers counterpart, Scott Fitterer. San Francisco swapped a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2025 to Carolina in exchange for the kicker, hardly a significant amount.
The conditional late-round 2025 draft pick the #49ers are swapping in the trade with the #Panthers for kicker Zane Gonzalez is a 7th-rounder, per the NFL transaction wire.
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) March 27, 2023
"That just kind of came where we got tipped by the agent that they (Carolina) had told him he's going to be released and called Fitterer and said, 'Look, we're not going to give you much, but we like him. We'd love to do something.'" Lynch explained. "Our special teams coaches have liked him, his talent, his ability.
"So we're excited to get a talented kicker, and we'll see whether we add competition. But he's been a guy in this league. He's got a big leg. He's got a lot of talent. Our guys were excited to work with him."
Given the conditions of the trade, it is not unthinkable that the 49ers might pivot when it comes to their plan at kicker. The team has been doing its homework on kickers in the draft and may opt to go with a rookie. Or perhaps an opportunity to add a different veteran will present itself.
Regardless of their ultimate decision, the 49ers like Gonzalez but aren't necessarily tied to him.