The 49ers placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Gould in February with the hopes of negotiating a new long-term deal before the July 15 deadline to do so. The kicker reportedly grew tired of the 14 months of negotiations, frustrated by San Francisco's decision to pursue a replacement in New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, and decided he would like to play elsewhere.
"The bottom line is, I'm unsure if I want to play there anymore," Gould told ESPN. "At this point, I have to do what's best for me and my family back home."
Gould, 36, has remained in the Chicago area as his teammates reported to phase one of the 49ers' offseason program last week.
The 49ers seemed confident the team would work out a deal with Gould, and general manager John Lynch insisted on Monday that the kicker would be suited up once the regular season kicks off. Those comments may not have sat well with Gould.
"Robbie's going to be a part of us this coming year," Lynch said. "I know that. We would like it to be longer than that, and we've made an attempt to make that happen. We haven't come to an agreement as of yet, and we'll see where that goes.
"Robbie will be a part of us this coming year, and we're excited for that because he's very good at what he does. And he's also a big part of this team."
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