49ers hope Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez can match Gould standard
SANTA CLARA -- The San Francisco 49ers have found their potential replacement for longtime kicker Robbie Gould after agreeing to acquire Zane Gonzalez from the Carolina Panthers on Friday.
The teams will exchange a conditional swap of late-round picks in the 2025 draft to complete the deal which will be finalized once Gonzalez passes a physical.
Carolina re-signed kicker Eddy Piñeiro on Thursday and planned to release Gonzalez before reaching the deal with San Francisco.
The Niners had been seeking a kicker since deciding not to bring back Gould as a free agent. The 40-year-old Gould joined the 49ers in 2017 and made 87.5 percent of his field goals over six seasons.
Gould was the most reliable postseason kicker in NFL history, making all 29 field goal attempts and 39 extra points in 16 playoff games for the Bears, Giants and 49ers.
Gould was 8 for 8 on field goals and made all five extra points during last season's playoff run for San Francisco.
Gonzalez, who turns 28 in May, missed all of last season with a groin injury, leading to his departure from Carolina. He was 20 for 22 on field goals for the Panthers in 2021 -- making all 17 tries from inside 50 yards.
Gonzalez also had 63.6 percent of his kickoffs go for touchbacks in 2021. The Niners ranked 27th in the NFL last season with only 47.5 percent of kickoffs going for touchbacks.
Gonzalez originally entered the league as a seventh-round pick for Cleveland in 2017. He has made 80.5 percent of field goal tries and 94.8 percent of his extra points in 63 career games for the Browns, Cardinals and Panthers.