Robbie Gould Open to Bears Reunion; But Should It Happen?

The 40-year-old kicker opened up about his playing career, the city of Chicago, his thoughts on the Bears, and his future in football.

Back Home/Chicago

Gould had high praise for the Windy City, saying Chicago is the best sports city to play in regardless if a team is rebuilding or winning. He also acknowledged the love he and his family get and is thankful to be welcomed back despite Chicago being his "full-time" home.

Perception Around The League

Waddle then asked Gould what players around the league think about the potential of playing in Chicago. The veteran kicker said he's talked to a lot of players in free agency and perception has been overwhelmingly positive. 

"They absolutely love it. I mean theres no better city, for one, for sports. But you also you talk about the restaurants, you talk about the fans. Talk about you know being able to live in an area thats safe and that's fun. And you know you could do whatever you need to do and go to the zoo. Whatever for your kids and it's a great place to raise a family."

He also offered an encouraging outlook on how the Bears are viewed.

"But ultimately, you know, the Chicago franchise I would say is probably one of the top five franchises to play for...with Philadelphia, with Pittsburgh, Seattle; I would put in there with the twelves."

Bears Tenure and Release

After spending the last six years with the San Francisco 49ers, Gould touched on how 2023 would mark eight seasons since he last suited up in navy and orange.

The ex-Bear took the high road when addressing the end of his time with Chicago after Silverman insinuated blaming Ryan Pace for cutting him in 2016.

"Don't blame him. I mean it's part of the business. I've been through everything. But, it's part of the business you know. It's a position where I think when you try to find money in free agency and for salary cap and you're trying to get an offensive lineman. Are you trying to get an offensive lineman to protect your quarterback in Jay Cutler or are you taking the kicker? It's just part of the business."

Possible Return To The Bears?

Robbie Gould is now a free agent, and he mulled over his options with the ESPN hots. Returning to the Bay Area seems unlikely after the 49ers traded for kicker Zane Gonzalez.

That led to a discussion about the possibility of him returning home to the Bears.

"It's been an interesting free agency period. You know one of the things I put most of my stock in is being closer to home [Chicago]. Would I love to come back here and play? Absolutely. Theres no doubt about it."

However, there's a caveat — it's not his decision. The Bears would have to make that call.

"Unfortunately...don't want to say unfortunately because it's not in our court to be able to make that decision. If Chicago called me and said "Hey, we want you back. Can you play?". Would I do it? Absolutely."

Excited About The Chicago Bears

Aside from calling Chicago home, the trajectory of the Bears is a big draw for Gould. He's noticed how general manager Ryan Poles has conducted business and is a huge fan.

Gould has been paying close attention to his former team and is well-aware of what's happening in Chicago.

"But I think you know you gotta be excited about what Ryan Poles is doin'. I mean the way that he's doin' it. I was apart of that same exact concept of a tear down in San Francisco six years ago. I love his patience. I absolutely love what he's doing. Still got a lot of money in free agency that he's able to spend. He didn't overspend in the beginning of it. You see he's getting a lot of value players. I know you guys talk about the linebackers a lot. But what I would say to that is that he got two players for the price of one in Roquan Smith...right?"

Gould is a huge fan of the Bears trading the No. 1 pick, especially landing DJ Moore in the process.

"He retooled and they have a lot of picks. The DJ Moore...the heck with the picks for the No. 1 overall. Getting DJ Moore for Justin Fields?! I was watching highlights of that guy this week. What an explosive player. Great five yards and taking a route to the house. Great in tight contested area."

The veteran kicker also praised some of the other moves Poles has made so far this offseason. 

"I love D'Onta Foreman. I think he's going to be really good for the RPO scheme that they have. Obviously, everyone wants them to retool along the offensive and defensive line but if you look at what they're doing they're getting great guys to come in and play special teams. They've done a nice job of putting some people around Justin. So yeah I'd love to come back and play for Chicago. For sure."

Could Gould Play For Bears' Rivals?

Tom Waddle didn't hesitate to push some buttons when asking Gould about other opportunities.

"Could you ever find yourself going north to Green Bay?"

After receiving a chorus of boos, Waddle followed up by saying, "Hey listen, a job's a job."

After joking that he was leaving the show, Gould provided a serious answer that may not sit right with Bears fans.

"You know listen, I want a chance to play closer to home," Gould said. "Wherever that may be."

Silverman even brought up how he thought Robbie would end up with the Detroit Lions this offseason, which would be closer to Chicago than Green Bay.

"I will be mulling over the best opportunity to come closer to home," Gould responded.

The Desire to Continue Playing

Robbie Gould is confident his playing career will continue this season, even if an opportunity doesn't arise right away.

"But the desire still burns?" Waddle asked.

"Oh, yeah. I mean listen, I want to make the Hall of Fame. That's one of my biggest goals. I want to be in the conversation for that. I don't know how that's going to go or what that's going to look like. But I would, um, as much as I'm ready to play coach, husband, dad. I had my kids out with me in San Francisco for the season. They were in the locker room. It was fun to have them around. I'm this close to winning a Super Bowl. So, that's obviously a big part of what I'd love to do.

"But holistically I'm more motivated now than I've ever been. And I'm playing at a much higher level now than when I played here for 11 years."

Should The Bears Consider Bringing Back Robbie Gould?

Now, it begs the question. Does Robbie Gould reuniting with the Chicago Bears make sense?

The Bears are in the midst of a rebuild and Gould says he's fine with joining a team in that process. However, he's 40 years old and doesn't envision playing for six more years. It may not be a good match for what Ryan Poles wants to do.

Additionally, the Bears still have Cairo Santos under contract and he's nine years younger than Gould. But Santos' deal expires following the 2023 season, which makes this an intriguing offseason question for Bears fans to ponder.

Cairo Santos' Stats with the Bears

After a brief stint with the Bears in 2017 that was cut short by an injury, Cairo Santos rejoined the team in 2020. He set a Bears franchise record for most consecutive kicks made, which was eventually ruined by Matt Nagy trotting him out for a 60-plus-yard attempt.

Santos stabilized a position that was previously in turmoil. In his three seasons with the Bears, Santos knocked home 77 of 85 field-goal attempts (90.6%) and 90 of 97 extra points (92.8%). 

• 0-19 Yards: 0-0 (0.0%)
• 20-29 Yards: 23/23 (100.0%)
• 30-39 Yards: 22/22 (100.0%)
• 40-49 Yards: 26/30 (86.7%)
• 50+ Yards: 6/10 (60.0%)

He has been a reliable leg, but range — especially from 50-plus yards — has been a knock on his game. And given that the Bears play at Soldier Field, having a strong leg that can kick the ball through the gusty winds is of the utmost importance. 

Past Bears Kickers vs. Robbie Gould

The numbers speak for themselves. Should the Bears consider reuniting with Robbie Gould? It's worth the discussion.