The 49ers are set to use their franchise tag for the first time since 2012. That year, they tagged safety Dashon Goldson. This year they’re using it on kicker Robbie Gould, the team announced Tuesday. The window to use the franchise tag opened Tuesday. It closes March 5.
The 49ers opted to use the non-exclusive tag on Gould, which allows him to negotiate offers with other teams but gives them the opportunity to match any offer he receives. San Francisco would receive a pair of first-round picks as compensation in next year’s draft if they don’t match an offer and Gould signs elsewhere.
Gould, 36, has been the NFL’s most accurate kicker during his two seasons in San Francisco. He made a league-best 97.1 percent of his kicks last year, and has hit 72 of his 75 kicks since signing with the 49ers in 2017.
General manager John Lynch said during the Senior Bowl that Gould and the 49ers were trying to hammer out a long-term deal. The franchise tag will keep Gould in Santa Clara on a fully guaranteed deal for at least one more season. That ensures the 49ers will have the veteran kicker on their roster for 2019, and can continue trying to work out a multi-year deal with him.
