Tag: Robbie Gould

Bears great Robbie Gould has a new football job

Robbie Gould has found a new job in the Chicagoland area after his retirement from the NFL.

The Chicago Bears had some legendary moments with Robbie Gould, one of the best kickers in NFL history. When Gould was released in 2015, he left as the team’s all-time leading scorer. It was an incredible tenure for him.

Gould played in Chicago for 11 seasons (2005-15), one year with the New York Giants (2016) and six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-22). In that span, Gould connected on 86.5% of field goal tries and 97.5% of extra point attempts.

Gould made 447 field goals on 517 attempts. He made 620 extra points on 636 attempts. Thirty-six of those field goals were from 50-plus yards. There is no doubt that he was consistently one of the best.

In retirement, Gould found a new job in football. It’s not in the NFL or college football, however. Instead, he is back to Chicagoland to become the head coach at Rolling Meadows High School, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

This is a great move — one of the most beloved Bears is back in Chicago and coaching a local high school. He has many ties to this area, as he met his wife and raised his family after becoming a resident of the northwest suburbs.

Gould played a few seasons with Jimmy Garoppolo, who attended Rolling Meadows. Now, Gould gets to coach at Garoppolo’s former school. The connections there are strong. You never know if Jimmy G will come back to coach with Gould once his playing career ends.

It’s always nice when former Chicago athletes come back around after they are done playing. It always felt like it was going to happen with Gould at some point, and here we are. Don’t be surprised if he has Rolling Meadows winning state titles in the not-so-distant future.

Ex-Giant Robbie Gould becomes coach of high school football team

Former New York Giants kicker Robbie Gould has been named the head football coach at Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, IL.

Former NFL kicker Robbie Gould, who spent one season with the New York Giants (2016), has been named the head football coach at Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Gould kicked for 18 seasons in the NFL, primarily for the Chicago Bears, where he set a franchise record for career points and was a Pro Bowl selection.

Gould played 10 games for the Giants in 2016 after spending 11 seasons in Chicago. He joined the team in October after the Giants dumped Josh Brown after reports of domestic abuse allegations broke. Gould made all 10 of his field goal attempts.

Gould signed with the San Francisco 49ers the next season and spent six years with them before retiring in 2022.

His 1,961 points are 10th on the NFL’s all-time scoring list and he went 29-for-29 in the postseason on field goal attempts, an NFL record.

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Longtime Bears, 49ers kicker Robbie Gould takes Illinois high school coaching job

Robbie Gould, the former Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers kicker, was reportedly hired as head coach of Rolling Meadows High School in Illinois.

Robbie Gould is returning to the sidelines just months after announcing his retirement from the NFL.

The former kicker who spent 18 years between three professional teams was named head coach of the Rolling Meadows High School (Ill.) football team, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Gould met with the team on Friday, the outlet reported.

Gould returns to the Chicago-area football scene, where he spent more than half of his illustrious career in the NFL. Over 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears, he scored 1,207 points, the most of any player in franchise history. He was cut from the team on the final day of preseason in 2016, and after spending the first six weeks of the season without a team, signed with the New York Giants for the remainder of the year. That offseason, Gould signed with the San Francisco 49ers, where he would play for the next six years.

Gould officially announced his retirement from the NFL in December after not signing with a team in the 2023 season.

Rolling Meadows went 2-7 last year, missing the playoffs for the second season in a row. The Mustangs in 2019 went 12-1 and reached the state semifinals but have struggled since, posting a record of 13-21 over the last four seasons.

Ex-Giants kicker Robbie Gould announces retirement

Former New York Giants kicker Robbie Gould has announced his retirement and recalls how his experience in East Rutherford helped shape him.

Robbie Gould, a veteran placekicker who played 18 seasons in the NFL, announced his retirement from football on Thursday.

“Now, although football has been a really great part of my life for the past 18 years, it is with the utmost regard and appreciation that I officially announce my retirement from the National Football League,” Gould wrote.

Gould played his first 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears and was a free agent in late October of 2016 when the New York Giants signed him to replace Josh Brown for the final 10 games of the season.

Brown was suspended and eventually released by the Giants after coming under fire after domestic abuse charges surfaced.

Gould hit all 10 of his field goal attempts and 20 of his 23 PATs in 2016, helping the Giants to an 11-5 record and a postseason appearance.

“Nearly a dozen years after beginning my NFL journey, I continued my career in New York with the Giants, playing for another historic NFL franchise,” Gould recalled. “Six weeks into the 2016 season, I signed a contract with the Giants in London on a Saturday. On that Sunday, I was playing my first game with the G-Men. The ownership group, the organization, the stadium personnel, and the teammates — the level of detail those individuals took to make sure I was comfortable in a new city was something I tried my best to mimic at my future stops.”

Gould left the Giants for San Francisco in 2017 and would play the next six season there until 2022. He left the 49ers after last season in hopes of finding another kicking gig but did not catch on with an NFL team.

Prior to the Giants signing Randy Bullock earlier this season, they hosted Gould for a workout.

The 41 year-old Gould retires 10th in league history in points scored (1,961) and eighth in field goals made (447). His 86.4% field goal conversion rate is ninth all time.

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Former 49ers kicker Robbie Gould announces retirement

Former 49ers K Robbie Gould announced his retirement one day after his 41st birthday.

Former 49ers kicker Robbie Gould is hanging up his pads after an 18-year NFL career.

In a post on the Players’ Tribune published one day after his 41st birthday, Gould wrote “it is with the utmost regard and appreciation that I officially announce my retirement from the National Football League.”

Gould put together a magnificent career where he spent 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears, one season with the New York Giants, and his final six years with the 49ers. He retires without ever having missed a kick in the playoffs – he was a perfect 29-for-29 on field goals and 39-for-39 on extra point tries in 16 playoff games.

For his career he drilled 86.5 percent of his 517 field goal tries, including a league best and full season career-high 97.1 percent with San Francisco in the 2018 season.

Despite the bulk of his career taking place in Chicago, Gould points to a postseason kick with the 49ers as his favorite. Via the Players’ Tribune:

People often ask me if I have a favorite or most memorable kick, and it really is such a hard question to answer. So many of them have such significance to me from different points in my career. But if I have to pick, here it goes:

January of 2022. Playoffs. Green Bay vs. San Fran. Lambeau Field. It’s 10–10. Ball on the right hash. Four seconds left on the clock. Jimmy G. had just taken the Niners offense 44 yards in nine plays against the top-seeded Packers. Deebo and Juszczyk had huge plays to give us a shot to win it from 45 and send San Francisco to the NFC Championship.

The temperature was below zero, and it felt exactly the way it did when I played in the Windy City. Snow was falling, and the ground was soft. It wasn’t ideal, but none of that mattered; as a kicker, it was one of those moments I lived for every time I stepped on the field. And then….

We nailed it right down the middle.

Finding a kicker to replace Gould was one of the 49ers’ top offseason priorities and they used the No. 99 overall pick to select Michigan’s Jake Moody.

Reliability at the kicker spot isn’t easy to find, and Gould offered that every time he suited up during his 18 NFL seasons. He retires No. 8 all-time in made field goals, No. 13 in field goal attempts and No. 9 in field goal percentage. Gould is also the all-time leader in field goal percentage in the postseason after drilling 100 percent of his playoff tries – which may be the stat that ultimately defines his career.

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Cairo Santos has quietly settled the Bears’ kicking game

Cairo Santos has been a steadying force for the Bears’ kicking game.

There was a period after the Robbie Gould era when the Chicago Bears couldn’t seem to find a steadying presence in their kicking game. It made it particularly difficult to stomach watching Gould go on to have success with the San Francisco 49ers.

And watching Cody Parkey’s double doink. Full stop.

The revolving door that was the Bears’ kicking room following Gould’s departure featured a who’s who of names from around the league.

Connor Barth, Mike Nugent, Eddy Pineiro, and Parkey were all a woeful reminder that former general manager Ryan Pace may have jumped the gun on Gould’s release.

Again, my apologies for the painful reminder.

Also included in that list was Cairo Santos, who was a midseason signing in Nov. 2017 and was signed again in 2020.

In his second stint with the Bears, the Tulane alum has been a steadying force for a team that badly needed it. It looked like Santos’ days in Chicago might be numbered after missing his fifth extra point of the season in 2022.

But good on general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus for allowing the 31-year-old to work through his issues and correct them. Santos is a perfect 11-for-11 on field goals and 14-of-15 on extra-point attempts this season.

Coming full circle, Santos missed his first kick in a Bears uniform, a 54-yarder in a 31-3 loss to Philadelphia. Last Sunday, he nailed a 54-yard field goal to give the Bears a commanding 18-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Before the kick, the game still had an unsettling feeling of being “over” but not “over.” Much like the Week 4 loss to the Broncos.

Since returning to Chicago in 2020, Santos has quietly been one of the most consistent kickers in the league. He’s hit 91.7 percent (88-of-96) of his field goal attempts and 92.9 percent (105-of-113) of his extra-point tries.

Plain and simple: Santos has been good.

His quiet success has, in a sense, closed the door on the baffling and, quite frankly, frustrating departure of Gould.

Santos is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023 season. There’s still plenty of season left, but should he continue kicking at this rate, the Bears will have to make him a priority to re-sign in the offseason.

Robbie Gould says Bears tried to trade for him in 2019

Robbie Gould said former Bears GM Ryan Pace tried to orchestrate a trade for him back in 2019.

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There was a time when Bears fans were clamoring for the return of former kicker Robbie Gould during an ugly period of kicker woes, which started after Gould was released in 2016. And it sounds like a reunion was nearly in the cards.

Gould recently appeared on ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy, where he shared an interesting nugget about how he almost wound up back in Chicago.

“Ryan Pace tried to get me back in a trade a few years afterward,” Gould said. “When the Eddy Pineiro trade happened because I was holding out from San Francisco.”

Setting the scene, that means the potential trade would’ve gone down during 2019 offseason. You know, following the infamous double doink missed field goal by Cody Parkey, which led to his release.

When trade talks fell through for Gould, the Bears had to turn elsewhere at kicker. Soon after, the Bears hosted a circus-like competition, where there were as many as nine kickers vying for the job. Ultimately, it came down to Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry, who battled it out in training camp and preseason, and Pineiro won the job.

After starting one season, Pinerio lost his job to Cairo Santos, due to injury, during the 2020 season. Santos established himself as a reliable option in three games, and he ultimately earned a three-year extension.

Now, Santos is entering the final year of his contract with Chicago. As for Gould, he remains a free agent continues to mull his options. And many are wondering if he’d be open to a reunion with the Bears.

“For sure, if they called and said, ‘Hey, we want you to play for us,’ I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Gould said last month, via NFL.com.

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Robbie Gould on potential reunion with Bears: ‘I’d do it in a heartbeat’

Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould said he’d rejoin Chicago “in a heartbeat.”

Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould remains a free agent, and he’s continuing to mull his options.

Back in March, Gould announced that he would not be re-signing with the 49ers and instead would explore free agency. Gould made it clear that he’d like to play closer to his family, who reside in Chicago, and potentially for a contender.

“Obviously I want to play closer to home, that’s one of the big things that’s meant a lot to me, and we’re filtering through those opportunities, and waiting for the right time to be able to do that,” Gould said, via NFL.com. “I’d love to win if possible, so I’m kind of being a little picky with that, but at 40 years old and playing 18 years in the league, I think I’ve earned the ability to do that.”

Gould, who spent 11 seasons with Chicago, became the Bears’ all-time leading scorer with 1,207 points back in 2015. During his time in Chicago, Gould connected on 85.4% of his field goals and 99.0% of his extra points.

As Gould considers his options, many are wondering if he’d be open to a reunion with the Bears.

“For sure, if they called and said, ‘Hey, we want you to play for us,’ I’d do it in a heartbeat,” he said.

Cairo Santos is entering the final year of his deal with Chicago, where he’s been the only steady foot for the Bears since Gould was cut nearly seven years ago. If they cut Santos, it would cost $1.5 million in dead money this year, per Spotrac.

This is the second time in as many months that Gould has discussed a potential return to the Bears. During an appearance on Waddle & Silvy back in March, Gould made it clear he’d be open to returning to Chicago.

“Would I love to come back here and play? Absolutely,” Gould said. “There’s no doubt about it. Unfortunately, it’s not in our court to make that decision.”

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Robbie Gould says he would ‘absolutely’ come back to play for the Bears again

Robbie Gould would welcome a return to the Bears this offseason.

It’s been nearly eight years since the Chicago Bears said goodbye to kicker Robbie Gould, but if he were presented the opportunity to come back this offseason, he’s letting everyone know he would be all for it.

Gould, a free agent after spending the last six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, joined ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show for the station’s 25th anniversary special on Friday afternoon at the House of Blues in Chicago. After reminiscing about Gould’s relationship with the station where he’s been a frequent guest and co-host, the conversation eventually turned to free agency and whether or not he would welcome a reunion with the Bears. He didn’t mince words.

“If Chicago called me and said ‘we want you back,’ would I do it? Absolutely,” Gould told the hosts, resulting in a round of applause from the live audience. He then praised the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles for their offseason up to this point, from trading the No. 1 overall pick to the signings of players like Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, and how the team is coming together around Justin Fields before reiterating his desire to play again for his former team. “Yeah, I would love to come back and play for Chicago for sure.”

The all-time leading scorer in Bears history and fan-favorite player was with the team from 2005-2015 and converted 85.4% of his field goals during his tenure. He was released just prior to the 2016 season and spent one year with the New York Giants before winding up with the 49ers. Now he wants to kick closer to home and though he has a desire to end up with the Bears again, the cards are stacked against him.

The Bears still have Cairo Santos on the roster and Poles appears to be content with keeping him for another season. Santos has been the Bears kicker since 2020 and is entering the final year of his deal with a cap hit of $4.5 million this season. Santos converted 91.3% of his field goals in 2022, nearly seven percent higher than Gould (84.4%). Though Gould has been clutch, particularly in the postseason where he has yet to miss a field goal, it would be surprising to see the Bears move away from Santos at this time.

For now, Bears fans will be left dreaming of a reunion with Gould. At least the feeling is mutual for many of them.

Every former Penn State player who will be an NFL free agent

Penn State has 40 players currently in the NFL, 13 of them are primed to be free agents when the new league year starts.

Penn State has 40 players currently in the NFL, 13 of them are primed to be free agents next week.

Penn State has long been a storied program in the college football ranks and they have always produced quality NFL talent, including several Hall of Fame players. In the mix of it all, the present crop of Nittany Lions in the league is well-represented at nearly every position.

Here are the 13 looming free agents that have played inside Beaver Stadium that will be looking for new deals when the NFL league year begins on Tuesday.