Latest On 49ers, Franchise K Robbie Gould

While 49ers K Robbie Gould has made it known he would like to be traded, he pushed back against the idea the only destination he would accept is Chicago. 

“I never said I want to go back there,” Gould said via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “I just said I want to be closer to my family. That doesn’t necessarily mean (the Bears).”

The deadline for Gould to sign a long term deal after being franchise-tagged this offseason is July 15. Gould said earlier this offseason he wasn’t planning on signing a long-term deal in San Francisco and doesn’t have any further updates than that.

“I don’t really have a plan right now,” Gould said. “Obviously there is a deadline and I don’t have to make any decisions anytime soon. … The deadline to sign a longer-term contract is Monday, and the rest of that (potential holdout) is up to me.”

“We’ve been negotiating for 17 months and it’s been a complicated situation,” Gould added. “I’m at the point where my agent is going to handle it. If there’s anything I need to know about, then I’ll make a decision. When I need to know of something of substance and that I have to make a decision on, he’ll call me. I’ve been able to focus on my training and spending time with my family and being around my kids.”

Gould said earlier this offseason he became tired of 14 months of futile contract negotiations and wants to be closer to his wife and children in Chicago. However, the 49ers have said they won’t trade him and plan on him being their kicker in 2019.

Gould skipped 49ers mandatory minicamp in June and still has not signed his franchise tag. Gould has not said if he would consider holding out through training camp or into the regular season. 

Gould, 36, originally signed on with the Patriots back in 2005 as an undrafted free agent, but he lasted just a few months in New England before joining the Ravens briefly and later joining the Bears.

Gould was in the fourth year of his five-year, $17.925 million contract when he was released by the Bears at the start of the 2016 season. He later signed a one-year deal with the Giants.

The 49ers brought Gould in on a two-year, $4 million contract in 2017. He was in line to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

In 2018, Gould appeared in all 16 games for the 49ers and converted 33 of 34 field goal attempts (97.1 percent) to go along with 27 of 29 extra point tries (93.1 percent).