Former San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould has announced his retirement.
Gould, who also played for the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants in a 17-year career, is 10th on the all-time points list with 1961 and eighth all-time in field goals made (447) with an 86.4 per cent career success rate.
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Now 41 years of age, and having left San Francisco in March, he has opted to call it a day and spend time with his family in his adopted home of Chicago.
He told the Players Tribune: “My favourite team has been waiting for me at home to join them full-time – no contract needed.
“I’m excited to be more present with my family and to focus all of my attention on what matters to me outside of football.
“For the longest time, my career has naturally filled my schedule, and my wife has taken the reins at home. My oldest is 10 years old, and I’ve been away from him for large chunks of nine years. My younger two boys are eight and five. For most of their lives, Dad hasn’t been fully present. So, without interruption, I’m ready for this next stage of life.”
Today, I’m officially hanging up my cleats. Thank you for the ride @PlayersTribune https://t.co/nGJF4fA64w
— Robbie Gould (@RobbieGould09) December 7, 2023
Reflecting on his career on Instagram, he added: “All good things must come to an end. The meaning of that saying is pretty simple, really. Great things in life cannot last forever. Everything is temporary.
“To have the kind of playimg career experience that I had in the NFL was nothing short of amazing, and my level of grstitude for the journey – the ups, the downs, the in between – is immeasurable. In Short, my NFL story is hard to believe, and it’s filled with a plethora of ‘pinch-me’ moments.
Gould will also be remembered for his remarkable post-season record which saw him make a combined 68 field goal and extra point attempts from 68 kicks.
