After cutting Robbie Gould before the start of the 2016 NFL season, the Chicago Bears spent years trying to find a reliable kicker. The Bears' kicking woes reached a breaking point when Cody Parkey's missed field goal kept the team out of the 2019 divisional playoffs. Following the infamous double doink, Chicago tried to re-acquire Gould in a trade.

Robbie Gould admitted to “Waddle and Silvy” on ESPN 1000 that the Bears attempted to get Gould back to Chicago. The kicker was with the San Francisco 49ers during the 2019 offseason and holding out for a better contract. A deal was never worked out. Instead, the Bears received Eddy Pineiro in a trade with the then-Oakland Raiders.

“(Former Bears GM) Ryan Pace tried to get me back in a trade a few years afterward,” Gould said. “When the Eddy Pineiro trade happened because I was holding out from San Francisco.

Gould's holdout with the 49ers ended in July when he agreed to a two-year contract worth up to $10.5 million. Gould remained in San Francisco through the end of the 2022 season. The kicker is currently a free agent.

Gould was the Bears' kicker from 2005-2015. In 11 seasons with Chicago, Gould successfully connected on 85.4% of his field goals and 99% of his extra point attempts.

When Chicago announced the 100 greatest of all time in 2019, Gould made the cut. A Bears fan favorite, Gould was one of just two kickers who were placed on the list.

Cairo Santos went 21-of-23 on field-goal attempts for the Bears last season and heads into the 2023 campaign as Chicago's kicker.