The Chicago Bears have released their all-time leading scorer in kicker Robbie Gould. To replace him, they have signed veteran kicker Connor Barth.
Chicago Bears Release Kicker Robbie Gould, Sign Connor Barth
Gould was drafted by the Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft. He has scored a Bears record 1,207 points. Gould was also the most accurate kicker in Bears history, making 85.4 percent of his kicks.
One iconic moment in Gould’s career was when he kicked the Bears to the NFC Championship Game in an overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks during the 2006-07 playoffs. The Bears and Gould would go on to lose Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts.
One reason the Bears may have cut him is because of his performance last season. He missed six field goals. His struggles continued during the 2016 preseason, where he missed a field goal and two extra points. The team announced that they would cut him Sunday night.
Barth will be reunited with Bears coach John Fox. The two were together with the Denver Broncos in 2014. Barth played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, making 23 of the 28 field goals he attempted. The Bears picked him up after he was cut by the New Orleans Saints. He spent time in New Orleans during the preseason.
Barth has also been a very accurate kicker. He has made 63 of the 64 field goals he has kicked from inside 40 yards since 2010.
Barth is expected to be the team’s starting kicker for the 2016 season. One thing that may affect his play, though, is the wind. During his seven year career, he has never kicked at Solider Field in Chicago. He has yet to deal with the wind that hits the Windy City. It will be interesting to see how that plays into affect with Barth’s kicking, especially around the end of November.
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