NEWSLETTER
Not that Chicago Bears fans were needing a reminder, but the closing moments of Sunday’s Chiefs-Bengals AFC title game gave us one.
Kicking matters in the postseason:
With that being said, I suppose this feels like an opportune time to mention that Robbie Gould is about to hit free agency. And while I’m not actively pushing Cairo Santos out the door, I know how Bears fans can get. Moreover, I’m cognizant of the criticisms of Santos’ PAT misses in 2022 and limitations when it comes to kicking long-range field goals. On the one hand, it is good that he (and the team) knows his range. But on the other hand, I can understand why there might be a preference to make a change. And if Gould hits the market, there will be a vocal segment of fans clamoring for GM Ryan Poles to right Ryan Pace’s wrongs. For better or worse.
Hey, don’t give me that look. I’m just trying to prepare for any and all possibilities that make their way onto our plate. And among them is a scenario in which Chicago cuts Santos and creates $3 million in cap space. Making a switch at kicker is the least of the Bears’ concerns. But we’ve seen stranger things happen with this franchise.
Anyway, Gould has hit 88.1 percent of his field goal attempts in the 100 games he has played since his unceremonious cutting by the Bears in 2016. And, for what it’s worth, Santos has made 90.6 percent of his field goals since joining the Bears in 2020. Gould has had an 84.6 percent success rate since the start of the 2020 season.
So I reiterate: it doesn’t take much imagination to envision some pockets of Bears fandom holding out hope for Gould’s return. And who doesn’t love a good homecoming story? Ultimately, I know better than to rule out any scenario in the NFL.
But I also know better than to get too emotionally invested in this particular potential outcome.
After all, even as Gould is kicking into his 40s, it’s tough to see SF giving up on him. And if they did, would that be a sign to maybe pump the brakes? I mean, if a playoff contender doesn’t want a kicker who hasn’t missed a postseason kick since leaving Chicago in 2016, why should any other team want him? Just some food for thought on another offseason Monday without a Bears game to dissect.
As for the rest of the notable Niners free-agents-to-be, is there anyone else that stands out to you?
