The 49ers’ mild offseason kicker drama carried into the start of the voluntary offseason program. Robbie Gould still hasn’t signed his franchise tag, so he’ll be absent for the start of the first phase of the offseason program according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
It’s not typically a significant issue if a player is absent for voluntary workouts, especially early in the offseason when the work is limited to strength and conditioning. Gould, 36, won’t miss out on a ton by missing the initial stages of the offseason.
What this could be is an early step toward a larger rift between the veteran kicker and San Francisco. Gould wants to go back to Chicago where he spent the first 11 years of his career. The 49ers didn’t give him that opportunity by placing a franchise tag on him.
49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters at the NFL owners meetings that the team tried to iron out a long-term deal with Gould, but the two sides never came to an agreement. That led to the team using the franchise tag to keep one of the NFL’s second-most accurate kicker ever in the Bay Area.
Gould has been dominant since signing with the 49ers in 2017. He’s hit 72 of 75 field goals, including six-of-six from 50-plus yards. His absence from the start of the offseason program isn’t a huge issue in itself, but it’s easy to see how it could become something the 49ers have to deal with as the season draws closer.
