The dream of Robbie Gould's return to the Bears has been rudely interrupted.
The 49ers on Tuesday announced they placed the franchise tag on the veteran kicker.
The long-expected move makes it all but certain Gould will remain with the 49ers. For him to depart after being tagged, the 49ers would have to choose not to match another team's contract offer to Gould, and they would receive two first-round draft picks from the team as compensation. In all likelihood, that amounts to a prohibitive cost.
Gould, the leading scorer in Bears history, was cut right before the 2016 season. The Bears still have not stabilized the position, while Gould has made 72 of 75 field goals for the 49ers over the last two seasons. The 36-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Bears are in the process of setting up a kicking competition this summer. They signed rookie free agent Redford Jones to a futures contract in January, and they plan to release incumbent Cody Parkey before the new league year March 13. At least one other addition is expected.
