One of the greatest kickers in NFL history officially hung up his cleats this week.
Robbie Gould, who kicked for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers, officially announced his retirement after 18 seasons in the league.
Gould wrote a lengthy farewell article for The Players’ Tribune where he described some of his favorite experiences as a kicker in the NFL.
“To have the kind of playing-career experience that I had in the NFL was nothing short of amazing,” Gould wrote, “and my level of gratitude for the journey — the ups, the downs, the in-between — is immeasurable.”
Today, I’m officially hanging up my cleats. Thank you for the ride @PlayersTribune https://t.co/nGJF4fA64w
— Robbie Gould (@RobbieGould09) December 7, 2023
Gould ranks eighth all-time in NFL history with 447 field goals made.
He also has the ninth-best field goal conversion percentage at 86.46 percent.
Gould recounted his favorite kick of all-time as well: The final field goal of a Jan. 22, 2022, divisional playoff match between the 49ers and Green Bay Packers.
With the score at 10-10 with four seconds left in regulation at a snowy Lambeau Field in Wisconsin, Gould knocked down a 45-yard field to send the 49ers to the NFC title game against the Los Angeles Rams.
That kick continued Gould’s streak of 57 consecutive playoff field goal makes – a number he would push to 58 the following week.
The 49ers would lose the following game, though, to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Rams.
But the memory of what that kick – and so many others – meant to the team and its fans is not lost on Gould.
And it’s one of many he’ll cherish from his illustrious career.
NEXT:
Analyst Says 1 49ers Player Took The Team To The ‘Next Level’
