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George Kittle discusses 49ers’ transition from Robbie Gould to Jake Moody
May 17, 2023 at 1:30 PM
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Robbie Gould has been money for the San Francisco 49ers, especially in the playoffs. In fact, the veteran kicker has never missed a postseason field goal, connecting on all 29 attempts over his illustrious career, including nine playoff games with the Niners.
Tight end
George Kittle joined Gould on
ESPN Chicago's Waddle & Silvy show. The 49ers star shared how much confidence he's had in Gould over the years.
Kittle shared, "I'll say this: never once in my career did I ever [say], 'Hey, it's fourth down, Robbie Gould's going out to kick a field goal ...' Not once was I ever in any sort of doubt. I was like, 'Okay, well, there's three points.' Not worried about it at all. So this will be a new experience for me."
That new experience is getting used to a rookie kicker. The 49ers allowed Gould to test free agency and replaced the veteran with a rookie. The team drafted Michigan's
Jake Moody in the third round. While the need was obvious, using a third-round pick to select a kicker left analysts in disbelief.
"I know the kid we drafted in the third round, he's going to be a good kicker," Kittle shared. "He's made some big kicks in college, so I'm looking forward to that. But it is a little bit different. You're just thinking about it maybe a little bit more because it used to be, 'Hey, Robbie's out there. Three points guaranteed.' And even if Robbie did miss, I was like, 'He'll make the next five. I don't really care. It is what it is.' Never really had to worry about it.
"So I'm going to stick with that type of confidence in my new kicker, and we'll see what happens. He is a good kicker. The Michigan side of him, I'm going to have to get used to that. Those Michigan guys, they're all so cocky. We drafted like three of them. It is what it is. I'm just glad that we kept it within the Big Ten."
Moody made 86.7 percent of his field-goal attempts in his final two seasons with the Wolverines. By comparison, Gould connected on 85.5 percent of his attempts over the last two seasons. The 49ers are hoping Moody's success at the collegiate level continues in the NFL.
As for Gould, Kittle is grateful for his contributions over the past six seasons.
"Robbie, I mean, hey, everything that you did for us, everything you did for all the players in this locker room, whether you were sitting on the sidelines, sitting in a lawn chair watching me practice, whether you're kicking field goals for game winners, we love you. The whole 49ers fan base loves you."
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