The San Francisco 49ers have a decision on Robbie Gould and his future with the franchise. By December 31, the 49ers must decide whether they want to raise half of Gould’s $ 4.5 million base salary. The 38-year-old made 31 straight kicks from within 50 yards before Saturday’s game against Arizona.
Gould missed field goals of 41 and 37 yards, as well as an extra point. The Cardinals had a chance to level the game on the final ride because Gould missed the three kicks. Gould missed one extra point and two field goals, which came into the game, both on attempts over 50 yards.
Kyle Shanahan spoke about Gould after Saturday’s victory:
‘You have to look at Robbie’s work, and Robbie’s been amazing since he was here for us. He had an incredible year this year. Yes, it was difficult in such situations, and Robbie would be harder on himself than anyone, but no. He played too much football in his career, and he played too much football for us to let one game decide who he is. ”
It does not sound like a coach who will let a poor performance in a pointless game stand in the way of a decision. Historically, Gould has been one of the three most accurate kickers in the NFL. I doubt this game would be enough to change the decision makers for the 49ers.
With that in mind, his age and salary are a factor. If the 49ers choose to pick up Gould’s $ 2.25 million option next week, he’ll be on the list for at least another season. Is it worth Gould paying two million extra? Because of stability I would lean yes We’ve seen how a bad kicker can turn a game around. The argument would be that a replacement kicker would hypothetically give you a similar performance where he misses a few kicks per season for about $ 3 million cheaper.
These are all the decisions that San Francisco must take into account. Saving a few million here and there can make the difference in signing up for a big name free agent or bringing back one of your 40 unlimited free agents. Based on Shanahan’s comments, Gould will be in the Bay again next season.