Kicker Robbie Gould has announced his retirement, concluding an illustrious 18-season career in the NFL, with his final six seasons (2017-22) spent as a key player for the San Francisco 49ers.
Today, I'm officially hanging up my cleats. Thank you for the ride @PlayersTribune https://t.co/nGJF4fA64w
— Robbie Gould (@RobbieGould09) December 7, 2023
"I tried my best to play as hard as I could and give everything I could to the organization, and I think, obviously, my body of work speaks [to] that," Gould said in July of his time with the 49ers.
In his final season with the 49ers (2022), Gould connected on 84.4 percent of his field goal attempts and 98 percent of his extra-point attempts. Throughout his entire career, he maintained high standards, completing 86.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 97.5 percent of his extra-point attempts.
Gould's career completion percentage ranks ninth all-time, and he is ranked eighth with 447 field goals made. His 1,961 points scored rank 10th among all players in NFL history.
"To have the kind of playing-career experience that I had in the NFL was nothing short of amazing, and my level of gratitude for the journey — the ups, the downs, the in-between — is immeasurable," Gould wrote in a story for The Players' Tribune.
Notably, Gould showcased his clutch performance in the playoffs, successfully completing all 29 of his field goal attempts and all 39 of his extra-point attempts.
29 for 29 on field goals in his playoff career @RobbieGould09 was CLUTCH 💪 @49ers pic.twitter.com/nKc5YKaSSc
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) December 7, 2023
The New England Patriots signed Gould as an undrafted free agent from Penn State in 2005. He later played for the Chicago Bears and New York Giants before his time with San Francisco.
Gould noted that his most memorable moment was his game-winning kick at Lambeau Field in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers in January of 2022, sending the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.
"We didn't win it all or even make it to the Super Bowl that season, but, man, that one felt good," Gould wrote. "I've always had a healthy respect for the Packers and that fierce Bears-Packers rivalry. More than anything, though, I just absolutely love Bears fans," he wrote. "So, to hit a huge kick like that, on the big stage, to continue my streak of never missing a kick in the playoffs and to also make all of Chicago happy in the process by taking down its rival? It was the best of both worlds."
In 2006, Gould was named a first-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.