John Lynch explains 49ers’ trade for kicker Zane Gonzalez
Last week, the San Francisco 49ers seemingly filled their kicker vacancy by trading for Zane Gonzalez, formerly of the Carolina Panthers. Robbie Gould, the team’s kicker since 2017, remains a free agent. The 49ers undoubtedly wanted him back but could no longer afford to grant the 40-year-old the kind of money he sought.
Is Gonzalez the answer for the 49ers? He’s an answer, but not necessarily the answer in Santa Clara.
“I think it’s a move,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters on Monday during the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona.
The Panthers planned to release Gonzalez, prompting Lynch to call his Panthers counterpart, Scott Fitterer. San Francisco swapped a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2025 to Carolina in exchange for the kicker, hardly a significant amount.
