49ers’ Robbie Gould prepared to consider all opportunities, including return to Bears

San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould is scheduled to hit free agency at the start of the new league year on March 13. The 49ers have expressed an interest in having him return in 2019, but nothing has happened so far, and the deadline for a new deal is now less than a month away.

"Of course we want Robbie back," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in December after Gould kicked the game-winning field goal to beat the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. "He's been great for two years. It's nice for a coach, that when you get to the end of that, I'm not thinking about him missing it at all."

Gould is in Chicago, where he kicked for his hometown Bears for 11 seasons before one season with the New York Giants and then the past two with San Francisco. He joined 670 The Score on Sunday to discuss his NFL future; more specifically, a potential return to the Bears.

"It's really out of my control at this point," Gould told Zach Zaidman and Tom Thayer. "I think I have only the exclusive rights to talk to the San Francisco 49ers right now. They're the only team that can get a deal done with me before free agency. Then when free agency opens up, I think March 11 or something like that (It's March 13, but agents can begin negotiations with other teams on March 11), then you just field phone calls, and you figure it out.

"I've been through this before a couple of years ago. When that March 11 deadline opens up and hits and the tampering period window opens, it's kind of a free-for-all. You're trying to make the decision that's best for your family, and you're trying to make decisions that kind of fit where you want to go for the next part of your career.

"Cody (Parkey) is obviously the kicker for the Chicago Bears. They have a lot things they would have to do in order for it to work. Those are all things, you never know what's going to happen, right? We're all ears if we get to that March 11 time and we'll take it in stride. We'd definitely consider all opportunities when we get to that free agent part, for sure."

Gould has enjoyed a successful two seasons in San Francisco. He completed 33-of-34 field goal attempts and 27-of-29 extra points during the 2018 season, his second with the 49ers. Gould's 97.1 field goal completion percentage last year was the highest of his career excluding a 10-attempt year in 2016 with the Giants and set a 49ers franchise record for the highest in a single season.

The 14-year veteran will ultimately do what is best for his family when deciding his NFL future. The Gould family is building a house in the Chicago area, and it is where it calls home.

"Well my family is the most important thing," Gould continued. "Obviously, my kids are older. They're five (years), three (years), and 14 weeks old, so I have some kids that are in school.

"It can be transient, for sure. Obviously, a long-term contract is something that I'd like to have, and then it comes down to, I want to win. I want to find the best place to give myself the opportunity to win the Super Bowl. So, there's a handful of things that I'll look into, and we'll make that decision.

"I've made calculated decisions kind of my whole career. I'm going to do the same thing whenever this decision that we have to make comes up."

You can can listen to the entire interview with Gould below.


H/t to Zain Naqvi for the find.