Robbie Gould has made it clear he’d like to return to Chicago, but a friend and former Bears kicker has warned him a potential reunion might not go as smoothly as he thinks.
Former Bears kicker Kevin Butler said during an interview on ESPN 1000 that he’s told Gould it could be more complicated if there’s a second time around.
“I’ve always said it to Robbie, be careful what you wish for sometimes, because it’s not easy to kick in Chicago,” Butler said. “It’s certainly not easy to kick in San Francisco, but he’s found a situation out there where he’s been as good as there is. Can you duplicate that by coming back to Chicago? I don’t know. . . . It’s a scary thing to mess with your legacy.”
Gould has asked the 49ers for a trade, so he can get closer to his family and their Chicago home. The 49ers responded by saying no, and he’s stuck on the franchise tag for the year. He has said he won’t report before the regular season opener.
Butler was the Bears’ all-time leading scorer, until Gould broke his record in 2015. The Bears released him the following year, and have struggled to replace him. They gave Cody Parkey a pile of money last year, cut him after his double-doink playoff miss, and are currently working through a cast of thousands.
“The obvious question is why don’t the Bears try and bring Robbie back,” Butler said. “Well, Robbie had tremendous success, better than any kicker in Chicago, and he’s gone on and done it even better after he left the Bears. If you’re looking for the rah-rah, team-team thing, remember, they’ll cut your ass just as quick as anything in the NFL.
“It’s not like you’re going to get back there in Chicago and you’ll be hugging all these guys. . . . You still have to perform. He’s performing at a level that he’s never done before. It’s broke in Chicago and they need to fix it. Robbie is certainly not broke in San Francisco.”
Until or unless the 49ers relent from their position, it’s a moot point, but it seems apparently Gould is prepared to slow-play this one.
