Veteran kicker Robbie Gould is still waiting for the call to play his 19th season in the NFL. It is a little bit surprising that he remains a free agent as kicking remains an integral part of the game. Last season we saw the Dallas Cowboys’ chances of winning unravel when they couldn’t rely on kicker Brett Maher, who missed a record-setting number of extra points in the postseason.
One of the most accurate kickers the game has seen, Robbie Gould proved last season that he can still get the job done. He made 84.4 percent of his attempts, going 27-of-32 with four of those five misses coming from between 40-49 yards away.
Robbie Gould was a perfect 2-2 on 50+ yard field goals, so he certainly has the leg strength still to get the job done. In a perfect world, he would have returned to the San Francisco 49ers, where he has spent the last six seasons of his career.
“I would’ve loved to have gone back there,” Gould said at the American Century Championship, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “I told them I wanted to go back there. We never got an offer from the team and we never had a conversation about coming back.”
The 49ers have opted to go a different route at the position. Not only did they trade for Zane Gonzalez, but they also used a third-round pick on Jake Moody out of Michigan.
Kicking is a finicky job as there are some ebbs and flows. Moving on from a veteran you can trust in Robbie Gould is certainly a risky move, especially when you have Super Bowl aspirations. But, it was one that he didn’t have much control over.
“The change wasn’t my decision,” Gould said. “Obviously, at the end of the season, they had to make a decision, and ultimately they wanted to go in a different direction. We put out the tweet that we were going to go in a different direction once we found that out. It was a great run, and it was a lot of fun. I wish all my teammates nothing but the best.”
The eighth most accurate kicker in NFL history at 86.46 percent, it is only a matter of time until Robbie Gould gets a call. No matter who may present him with the opportunity to get back on the field, he will be ready for it.
“I know training camp is coming up and I’m ready for the next opportunity,” Gould said. “And I’m sure these teams will give these young kids a chance and find out who has a chance to compete. I think things will get a lot more serious. But, yeah, I’m ready to go and looking forward to the next season.”
Robbie Gould isn’t the only veteran kicker looking for employment this offseason. Mason Crosby remains a free agent after the Green Bay Packers didn’t bring him back and Ryan Succop does as well. All three will have to bide their time as it looks like they will only get a chance should an injury occur or unproven talent fails to make a positive impression and a team looks for a change.
More must-reads: