The San Francisco 49ers have used the franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The franchise tag for kickers costs about $5 million for the one-year contract.
Game of tag officially underway: 49ers placed their franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould today, per league sources. SF is first team this off-season to use its franchise tag.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 26, 2019
The 49ers confirmed the move about 20 minutes after Schefter's report.
San Francisco reportedly used the non-exclusive franchise tag, which means Gould can negotiate with other teams, but the 49ers can match any competing offer. If they choose not to, they will receive two first-round picks in return.
#49ers put non-exclusive franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould.
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) February 26, 2019
Technically #Bears or others can make offer, but #49ers can match, otherwise he'd cost two first-round picks and that won't happen
The franchise tag gives the 49ers until July 15 to negotiate a new long-term deal with Gould. After that, he will have to play on the one-year franchise tag contract.
Gould, a 14-year veteran, completed 33-of-34 field goal attempts and 27-of-29 extra points during the 2018 season, his second with the 49ers. His 97.1 field goal completion percentage last year, which led the NFL (minimum 15 attempts), set the franchise record for the highest in a single season.
The New England Patriots signed Gould as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State in 2005. He spent 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears and one season with the New York Giants before signing a two-year, $4 million deal with San Francisco in March of 2017.
"Of course we want Robbie back," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in December after Gould kicked the game-winning field goal to beat the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. "He's been great for two years. It's nice for a coach, that when you get to the end of that, I'm not thinking about him missing it at all."
"Obviously, I have a strong feeling to return here," Gould told reporters the day after the 49ers' regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams. "Obviously, it's been a great place for my family. It's been a great place for my career. It's probably been the best two-year stretch I've had in my entire career, one of the best in the history of the game. That happens with a lot of great people."
