Robbie Gould Released by Bears: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Chicago Bears announced they released longtime kicker Robbie Gould on Sunday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news.

Gould has played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Bears, making 276 field goals at an 85.4 percent success rate.

Last season, the kicker made the second-most field goals in the NFL, finishing 33-of-39 (84.6 percent). He also made 28 of his 29 extra-point attempts.

The veteran set a career high in 2015 with seven field goals of 50 or more yards on nine attempts.

However, the 34-year-old struggled in the preseason this year, missing a field-goal attempt in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs before missing two extra points in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns.

"It's about timing. It's a part of finding that rhythm—that's what preseason is for," Gould said of his struggles, per Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, Gould's salary likely played a big role in Chicago's decision, as Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com suggested:

"

Robbie Gould isn’t bad, but he makes way too much money for how good he actually is.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) September 5, 2016"

According to Spotrac, the Bears were able to clear $3 million in salary-cap space with the move.

As Zach Zaidman of the Bears Radio Network noted, Gould was the longest-tenured player on the roster:

Chicago doesn't have another kicker on its roster, but there are a few options on the open market. Shayne Graham, Cody Parkey and Connor Barth were among the kickers released in the latest round of cuts around the league, as NFL.com noted.