Former 49ers K Robbie Gould announces his retirement from football Thursday

Dec 7, 2023, 8:03 AM | Updated: Feb 23, 2024, 8:18 am

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 01: Robbie Gould #9 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates an overtime win against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)

(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)

BY AMILIANO FRAGOSO

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

After 18 seasons in the NFL, Robbie Gould has decided to hang up his cleats for good.

The long-time San Francisco 49ers kicker has called it a career, making the announcement via social media and The Player’s Tribune. The Pennsylvania native was a fan favorite in The Bay Area, hitting numerous big kicks for the Red & Gold over the years. Now, at the age of 41, he moves on to the next chapter of his life.

‘”All good things must come to an end,'” Gould wrote on Instagram and The Player’s Tribune Thursday.”The meaning of that saying is pretty simple, really. Great things in life cannot last forever. Everything is temporary.

“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. In short, my NFL story is hard to believe, and it’s filled with a plethora of ‘pinch-me’ moments.”

Long-time NFL kicker Robbie Gould announces he’s retiring https://t.co/Y8crAX5kcF pic.twitter.com/Atw9MxOYxE

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 7, 2023

Robbie Gould entered the NFL undrafted in 2005, signing with the Chicago Bears. He went on to play for Chicago for 11 seasons, earning an All-Pro selection in that timespan. He also spent time with the New York Giants, before joining the 49ers in 2017. Gould spent his final six NFL seasons in Santa Clara.

The place-kicking ace went a combined 86.5% on regular-season field goals in his storied career. He also made 97.5% of his extra points. His biggest accomplishments came in the postseason, staying perfect throughout his career. In 16 contests, he hit 29 of 29 FGs and 39 of 39 extra points.

When reflecting upon his lengthy playoff career, one kick came to mind: January 22nd, 2022 against the Green Bay Packers in the snow.

In honor of Robbie Gould announcing his retirement today, here’s a throwback to his game winning field goal to eliminate the Packers, and send the Niners to the NFCCGpic.twitter.com/SAcuGSewhM

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) December 7, 2023

Here is Robbie Gould on his time with the 49ers:

A free agent the following season, I headed to San Francisco to join the Niners. It didn’t take more than two words to convince me that I wanted to play in that city. Kyle. Shanahan. His personal talent as arguably the best coach in the business, combined with that offense? I had zero hesitation about wanting to be a part of that culture. San Francisco may not have had the best record at the time, but the thought of what that team could become from a long-term perspective was impressive to me.

At that point in my career, my kids were old enough to enjoy the experience with me, and that was so much fun for our family. They quickly formed relationships with the equipment guys on game days, as they’d let my boys shine up helmets and fold towels. We started a countdown for Thursday night “Pies with the Guys,” and it became a tradition that my kids looked forward to each week. They’d get high fives and fist bumps at the Niners facility from some of their newest pals (my teammates!). Each person in that building treated my boys like family, and to this day, my kids still talk about those “remember whens.” I owe those guys a lot for the lifelong memories they created for my family.

Click here to read Robbie Gould’s full retirement post in The Player’s Tribune.