Fans of the San Francisco 49ers react to their legend’s unexpected retirement midseason

December 7, 2023 Sports Gist NFL, Other Sports 0

Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Francisco 49ers fans react after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Fans of the San Francisco 49ers react to their legend’s unexpected retirement midseason

 

News and notes on the San Francisco 49ers - Revenge of the Birds

 

San Francisco 49ers fans reacted to one of their legendary players announcing retirement during the 2023 NFL regular season. Former 49ers and Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould announced his decision to retire from the NFL on Thursday.

Gould came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played with the Bears for the 2005-15 seasons and made a Pro Bowl appearance for the 2006 campaign. Gould had a stop in 2016 with the New York Giants before finishing his career with the 49ers from 2016 to 2022.

Gould was known for his postseason success as a kicker. He was a part of the 49ers team that made it to Super Bowl LIV. He made both of his field goals in that game. Gould made a game-winning kick against the Green Bay Packers for the 2021 season to lead them to the NFC Championship game.

Gould made all four of his field goal attempts against the Dallas Cowboys in the last postseason to get the team to the NFC Championship Game.

Fans will remember Gould fondly in San Francisco. Here are the best takes from fans on Gould’s retirement from the NFL.

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49ers want Greenlaw to play with same fire after sideline incident

The 49ers do not want linebacker Dre Greenlaw to make any dramatic adjustments to the way he plays the game.

Mostly, they are fond of him just the way he is.

“I love playing alongside him because I know what he’s going to bring every time he’s out there,” 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said.

“(He’s) an enforcer, a tone-setter out there, delivering those hits and flying to the football every single play. You need that.”

The only thing the 49ers do not need are 15-yard penalties and to see him get ejected — as he did with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Greenlaw was flagged for his ninth unnecessary roughness penalty of his five-year NFL career when he picked up 170-pound receiver DeVonta Smith and tossed him hard to the ground.

Then, when an Eagles staff member entered the fray and put his hand on him, Greenlaw took a swipe and was thrown out of the game.

“If you get a penalty, you’re wrong,” Warner said. “If you don’t get the penalty, you’re doing a great job. Dre knows he’s got to obviously be smart, and guys are looking to rile him up out there. I think for the most part, he does a great job.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan said he believes Greenlaw does a good job of playing with fire and aggression while mostly playing on the correct side of the line.

“I think Dre’s as good at it as anyone I’ve been around,” Shanahan said. “I think Dre is our enforcer. He is our most physical hitter. We’ve got a lot of guys who hit, but I think he shows up more than others.

“Dre is not a dirty player at all. He plays one way.”

Defensive end Nick Bosa believes Greenlaw’s tenacity, physicality and mentality are important ingredients to the 49ers’ defense.

“When you turn on the tape, you see guys, if they take a hit early in the game, they’re looking for him and they’re getting down way faster than they normally would,,” Bosa said.

Bosa said there have been games in which typically hard runners are not nearly as determined to pick up extra yards after feeling some punishment from Greenlaw.

“You see running backs just call it quits early in games,” Bosa said. “You don’t feel them the rest of the game because of stuff our defense does, and Dre is a leader in that.”

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