Robbie Gould was part of the first free agent class after head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. Last season, Gould and fullback Kyle Juszczyk were the only remaining players from that class. The kicker hit free agency this offseason and remains unsigned.
The 49ers drafted his replacement, Jake Moody, in April. That made it clear the team had moved on. Still, Gould has fond memories when he looks back on his time with the 49ers.
"It was a big deal to me," Gould recently told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on the "49ers Talk" podcast. "The reason I went there is because of Kyle. I met him. I hold him in high regards for what he does offensively. The York family was amazing to me, and I'll be forever thankful for what they were able to do to give me an opportunity.
"And there's a lot of memories that were had there. We started out 0-9 and went on a run eventually, and it took two years to build, but I was able to see it, which was great for me and my growth, and also gives me the ability to kind of see things differently.
"So, for me, I'll be forever grateful for what Kyle did for my family, and the York family for giving me the opportunity to be a Forty-Niner."
In March, ahead of free agency, Gould told ESPN that he didn't plan to return to the 49ers. The kicker insists he had hoped the situation with his former team had worked out differently.
Veteran kicker Robbie Gould said today that, as much as he enjoyed his last six seasons in San Francisco, he will test free agency later this month and be kicking elsewhere in 2023.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2023
"Well, the change wasn't my decision," Gould said. "Obviously, I think, at the end of the season, they had to make a decision, and ultimately, they wanted to go in a different direction. And I think our negotiations were never easy. So for me, I think it was an ability for me to go in a different direction.
"I think I would have loved to have gone back there. Obviously, I told them I wanted to come back there. We never got an offer from the team, and we never had a conversation about coming back. I know Kyle had mentioned something about having me back in free agency but never really came to the table to where that happened."
Gould says that tweet by ESPN came after the kicker realized that a return to San Francisco was unlikely. He understands the 49ers' salary-cap situation and knows many players are set to make big money. Continuing to pay a kicker top dollar was no longer part of the plan.
"Like I said, it was a great run, and it was a lot of fun, and I wish all of my teammates nothing but the best," Gould added. "... You can't pay everybody, and it's a business. So they had to make some tough decisions. And I think for me, I was a part of that decision.
"And I think the other part of that was negotiations are never easy between the two parties. So I'm sure that played a [big] part in it for them. But at the end of the day, I was proud to be a Forty-Niner, and like I said, I'm forever thankful for what Kyle did for my family. I mean, the opportunity to come in and play for him was awesome. He fought for me every single time my deal was up.
"I tried my best to play as hard as I could and give everything I could to the organization, and I think, obviously, my body of work speaks [to] that. And at the end of the day, they're going to go in a different direction, and my opportunity is coming, and I'm excited for it."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Gould below.