It’s the worst-kept secret in sports that the Chicago Bears are angling to make a change at kicker. Their hefty gamble on Cody Parkey this past offseason was a major failure. He missed 10 kicks during the regular season and then cost them the win in their first playoff game in eight years by missing the game-winner. Combine that with the ill-advised Today Show appearance and it’s little surprise he’s likely done. So where does Robbie Gould fit?
The 36-year old left the Bears back in 2016 after a disappointing 2015 season. Since then he’s connected on 82 of his last 85 field goal attempts. It’s clear the exit, while painful, helped him to refocus. Now he’s set to become a free agent this offseason and many are wondering (hoping) he might wish to rejoin his old team.
Gould himself has indicated his love of Chicago hasn’t waned in the slightest since leaving. He remains a Bear at heart. So the question is more about whether he could hit the open market or not. An interesting twist on that front arrived courtesy of 49ers insider Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
#49ers, Gould have been talking about a new contract and John Lynch said the team wants to "reward" him for his steady kicking. But the scuttlebutt in Mobile last week was that the sides weren't close. And Dan's story makes it sound as if Gould expects to reach FA on March 13. https://t.co/njRqcqIDor
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 31, 2019
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Now this doesn’t mean Gould won’t return to San Francisco. It means the 49ers aren’t likely to ink a new deal before free agency begins. This opens the door for other teams to talk to him. Anybody with common sense understands though that there’s only one he’d likely sign with besides the 49ers.
This means the ball will be in the Bears’ court. If GM Ryan Pace has interest in bringing Gould back, which would certainly be a popular move, then he should be able to make it happen. It will be a matter of how much money Gould wants. Given his age, it shouldn’t be a huge issue. After that, it’s up to the kicker to decide.
