K Robbie Gould Turned Down 2023 Offer Prior To Retirement

When the 49ers elected to select Jake Moody in the third round of the 2023 draft, it was clear Robbie Gould would need to find a new team to continue his playing career. The veteran kicker expressed an interest in doing so last July, but he did not end up signing with any suitors.

“The right place didn’t come up,” Gould said in an conversation with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I had an opportunity to go to a rival of San Francisco’s at the end of the year, but at that point I knew, what was three weeks going to do to change my career? What was three weeks going to do to change the trajectory of what I wanted to accomplish as a player?”

That comment could be a reference to the Giants. Dealing with an injury to Graham Gano, New York auditioned a number of veteran kickers in November, including Gould. The 41-year-old did not finalize a Giants deal, though, and by early December he made it known he intended to retire. That move brought about an end to a career defined by longevity and postseason accuracy.

Gould made 282 combined regular and postseason appearances with the Bears, Giants and 49ers. The former UDFA connected on all 29 of his playoff field goal attempts, and he went 39-for-39 on extra point kicks. That success was not enough to convince the 49ers to keep him in the fold at the end of his contract, something Gould also spoke about.

“Could I have gone back to San Francisco? Probably not,” the Penn State product added. “I think the relationship there from the executives to me was definitely fractured. Not in a poor way, I just think negotiations and how those things operated, they take a toll on your relationships. I’ll be forever thankful for what they did for my family, very thankful for the York family for what they did for six years, giving me an opportunity to have success and play in NFC Championships and Super Bowls.”