If Matt Gay walks, LA should turn to Robbie Gould

49ers might have provided Rams a lifeline at kicker

The Los Angeles Rams are currently in a salary dump with Bobby Wagner cut and a potential Jalen Ramsey trade on the way. With LA desperate to add space, they might be forced to let kicker Matt Gay walk if contract demands get too pricy. If that happens, a player on a certain archnemesis will soon be on the market.

Robbie Gould has been with the 49ers ever since Kyle Shanahan was hired in 2017. He happens to be one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history and has never missed a kick in the playoffs, going a perfect 29-for-29. His resume in San Francisco speaks for itself:

“Gould holds the 49ers’ record of 33 consecutive field goals without a miss, a streak he accomplished from Oct. 29, 2017, to Oct. 7, 2018.

Gould made 87.5 percent of his field-goal attempts (161 of 184) during his time with the 49ers. He is eighth in NFL history with an 86.46 percent accuracy on field-goal attempts, also eighth with 447 made field goals and 10th with 1,961 points.” per NBC Sports

The problem with adding the veteran kicker is that he could become too pricy for the Rams to sign. If re-signing Matt Gay anywhere between $5-6M gives the front office pause, why would they consider Robbie Gould who would command a lot more? Using the franchise tag would’ve cost the Niners $6.6M this season. I would expect Gould to sign a contract in the $7-8M range in free agency. Again, that might be too much money for a Rams team looking to cut costs or dedicate it to a greater position of need.

Then there’s taking a gamble on replacing Gay who’s been virtually flawless since signing with the Rams in 2020. In his three seasons with the team, Matt has made 74-of-80 field goals, good for a 92.5 field goal percentage. Gay was also clutch in LA’s Super Bowl run, hitting the game-winner against Tampa Bay in the Divisional Round. Cost aside, a team shouldn’t let a player walk unless there’s someone just as productive who could replace them.

The only player who could possibly do just that is Robbie Gould. There have been questions about his range but his overall production doesn’t lie. At 40 years old, Robbie is still as good as Gould. LA might have to trade Jalen Ramsey first as the two have some serious beef with each other.

Joking aside, the Rams could use some of that competitive fire to help bring the team back to contention. Once he gets past his hostility towards LA, I’m sure he’d be ready to stick it the FortyWhiners twice a year.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports