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No plan for Robbie Gould to make contract decision

With Robbie Gould's 2019 playing status still in limbo as he has yet to sign a $4.97 million franchise tender, the 49ers kicker seems to see no conclusion in sight even with training camp looming.

Gould doesn't have a plan of action much less a decision on the matter.

"I'm not going to commit to making any decision right now," the kicker told The Mercury News' Cam Inman. "I don't really have a plan right now.

"Obviously, there is a deadline and I don't have to make any decisions anytime soon. ... The deadline to sign a long-term contract is Monday and the rest of that [possible holdout] is up to me."

The league's deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign multi-year contracts is on Monday. Gould was pining for a trade in April as he stated he was uncertain if he wanted to play for San Francisco anymore. Thereafter, Gould, who has thus far skipped all 49ers offseason workouts, can wait until Week 1 to report and he would earn his $4.97 million. He can elongate his holdout to Week 10 and earn a prorated salary or sit out for the season, something running back Le'Veon Bell did in 2018.

It's been a long process of negotiation and, free of a plan, Gould is content to let his representation work everything out with the 49ers front office.

"We've been negotiating for 17 months and it's been a complicated situation," Gould said. "I'm at the point where my agent is going to handle it. If there's anything I need to know about, then I'll make a decision.

"When I need to know of something of substance and that I have to make a decision on, he'll call me. I've been able to focus on my training and spending time with my family and being around my kids."

Still residing in Illinois where he played for the Bears across his first 11 seasons and still a member of the 49ers roster, Gould was checking in from Nevada where he's around scenic Lake Tahoe for the upcoming American Century Championship golf tournament.

Coupled with the Bears' kicking woes, Gould returning to his former team seemed to be a match, but it hasn't come to fruition and the kicker also clarified he wasn't necessarily aiming for that to happen.

"I never said I want to go back there," Gould said. "I just said I want to be closer to my family. That doesn't necessarily mean [Chicago]."

Over the last three seasons, Gould's field goal percentage has been 95.1 or better, including a league-best 97.1 in 2018. Borderline automatic as he's been on the field, any certainty involving his contract situation would seem just the opposite.

There's no plan, no decision and no end in sight.

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