The 49ers placed the franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the Niners become the first team to use the franchise tag this offseason. Gould will earn roughly $5MM in 2019 on the tender, unless the two sides avoid the tag with an extension. 
Gould has nailed 72 of 75 field goal attempts over the last two years with the Niners and he ranks as the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history. That’s especially impressive when considering that Gould has spent eleven of his 14 seasons kicking out of Soldier Field with the Bears.
The 49ers last used the tag in 2012 when they kept safety Dashon Goldson from exploring the open market. Last year, they considered tagging franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but they avoided that step by inking him to a colossal five-year extension.
With the tag in place, the Niners and Gould can negotiate a long-term deal between now and the summer deadline.
Good! Think he wanted to bail to go back to Chicago and made it tough to get a deal done so I’m glad they tagged him and kept him from leaving. Hard to find a kicker that reliable now a days it seems like so can’t easily replace him. Hopefully this causes him to change his stance and get a new deal done but if not he isn’t going anywhere at least one more year and if he’s still good next year maybe even another year with another tag.
I’m shocked to see it used on a kicker but good for them. I heard the rumblings about a reunion in Chitown and I totally agree with Thronson5
As a Bears fan, this saddens me.
Don’t sign it Robbie the 49’s aren’t close to being a winner. Wait a year and see you in Chicago 2020
No chance of him not signing the tag. No reason to pass on the free $5 million.
Whether or not he’s willing to negotiate a longer term deal is another story.
this next draft is the “year of the kicker”
yeah good for him . 5 million for a kicker is great
They did it so we have to trade em a 6th or 7th rounder I bet lol