© Stan Szeto | 2019 Aug 29
While the 49ers expect a number of previously injured players to return to the field on Monday night, a new face has appeared on the injury list.
Kicker Robbie Gould’s status vs. the Seahawks is “very much in doubt” as he deals with a strained quad, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. So much so that San Francisco has signed another kicker, rookie Chase McLaughlin, should they need him to handle kicking duties for the game at Levi’s Stadium.
Gould hasn’t exactly been lights out for the 49ers this season (13-of-20) but he’s not completely to blame. The team’s long snapper position was a turnstile through the first six games of the season, with three different players putting forth inconsistent efforts before the return of suspended long snapper Kyle Nelson two weeks ago.
Last season, Gould was the most accurate kicker in the NFL, and one of the team’s most valuable players, going 33-of-34.
McLaughlin, 23, is an undrafted rookie who has four NFL appearances to his name, all with the Chargers when he filled in for injured kicker Michael Badgley from Weeks 5-8. McLaughlin went 6-of-9 in the stretch, missing a field goal in three of the four games.
McLaughlin was a Big Ten Kicker of the Year award winner his senior year at Illinois and is known for having a powerful leg. He went 4-of-6 on 50 plus yard field goals his senior year, and became the first Illinois kicker to score field goals of 50 plus yards in three consecutive games.
The 49ers have yet to make any sort of official announcement regarding Gould’s status for Monday.
