San Francisco 49ers sign kicker Robbie Gould to 2-year extension; deal worth $7.25 million, source says
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — On the same day he signed a reworked, two-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers, kicker Robbie Gould landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which means he will miss Sunday’s season finale against the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers announced Wednesday that Gould signed a two-year contract extension through the 2022 season. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the deal is worth $7.25 million and is fully guaranteed.
“It was great to lock up Robbie,” Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I didn’t feel like we were gonna lose him, so I was glad we were able to work out something that helped both sides. It was good for the organization and it was good for Robbie, too, so I think we all felt good about that.”
Gould’s renegotiated deal comes just a few days before the 49ers’ Week 17 deadline to decide whether to pick up the options on the final two years of his previous four-year contract. Had the Niners picked up that option, Gould was scheduled to make $8.5 million over the next two seasons.
Not all of that money would have been guaranteed, which helps explain why Gould took a little bit less money in exchange for having the next two years’ salary guaranteed.
Re-signing Gould now also gives the Niners a little bit of certainty at one position as they head into an offseason where they figure to have limited salary-cap space and about 40 players scheduled for some form of free agency.
“Everything helps,” Shanahan said. “I don’t have my calculator on me right now, so I don’t know the exact space it created, but I know it created more space for us this year (2021).”
This season, Gould, 38, is 19-of-23 on field goal attempts and 36-of-38 on extra points. For his career, Gould has been one of the league’s most consistent kickers, making 86.6% of his 462 field goal tries, fifth in NFL history among kickers with at least 100 makes. His 1,731 career points with the Niners, Giants and Bears rank 15th.
“It’s important to us to have a good kicker,” Shanahan said. “We have one of the best that’s played the game in Robbie and will continue to have one, which helps us not have to fill that hole and we can focus on the others. I do know at least now we’re not spending money to get a new kicker or spending a draft pick on a kicker.”
The 49ers will not have Gould for Sunday’s game in Seattle, however, after he landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list just hours after signing his new contract.
To replace Gould, the 49ers are adding kicker Tristan Vizcaino, who was last on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Vizcaino will be available to join the team on Friday, assuming he passes the COVID-19 protocols, according to Shanahan.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky would likely serve as the emergency kicker against the Seahawks, Shanahan said.