Robbie Gould would ‘absolutely’ return to Bears originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Robbie Gould, former Chicago Bears kicker and current San Francisco 49ers leg, admitted to ESPN 1000 he would “absolutely” come back to the Bears if they called.
“Here’s what I’ll tell you,” Gould began Waddle & Silvy. “It’s been an interesting free agency period. One of the things I put most of my stock in is I want to be closer to home.”
For awareness, Gould lives in Chicago full-time during the offseason. It’s become public knowledge, as he’s admitted to his residency multiple times, including the very show in question on Waddle & Silvy.
“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.”
Gould’s current employer, the San Francisco 49ers, traded for kicker Zane Gonzalez on Friday. Their commitment to Gould seems tenuous as a result of the trade.
He also understands that the odds of him returning to his native team are low. The Bears have a solid roster in Cairo Santos. Of the 77 field goal attempts Santos has tried since becoming a Bear, he’s only missed eight of them.
Santos has one more year left on his three-year contract and he is slated to make $3 million.
Earlier in free agency, Gould said The 33rd Team he wasn’t interested in returning to the Bears, despite his pending free agency status.
“I live here [Chicago] full-time but I don’t know if I want to kick in the cold anymore,” Gould said in February. “I’d look to get a dome and some warm weather first. 40 years, 18 years of doing this, I deserve that I think.”
MORE: Robbie Gould doesn’t want to kick for the Bears
It seems that Gould has reconsidered his position surrounding his availability. Maybe it was because the famous former Bear was surrounded by Chicago fans who chanted “Robbie” twice during ESPN 1000’s show in front of a live audience.
Last season, Gould punched through 84 percent of field goals and 98 percent of extra points. He has never missed a field goal in the postseason and he is the Bears’ all-time leading scorer.
We’ll see what free agency has left in store. Gould admitted that the odds of his return to the Bears are low. But if Ryan Poles calls him, he’s answering the phone.
“If Chicago called me and said ‘Hey, we want you back and you’d play.’ Would I do it? Absolutely,” Gould said. “But I think you got to be excited about what Ryan Poles is doing.”
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