The 49ers will need all hands on deck Monday night in an NFC West showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.
They also believe they need an extra leg.
With regular place-kicker Robbie Gould suffering an injury in practice this week, the 49ers on Thursday signed free-agent kicker Chase McLaughlin as insurance in case Gould isn’t ready.
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, Gould hurt a quadriceps while kicking Tuesday. He hasn’t been officially ruled out of Monday’s game, but the 49ers want to have a backup plan if he can’t play, so the team signed McLaughlin, a former Chargers kicker.
McLaughlin, a rookie from Illinois, kicked four games with the Chargers earlier this year before being released. He made 6-of-9 field-goal tries and all seven PATs.
The Chargers let him go after he missed a 42-yard field-goal try in a 17-16 win over the Bears.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said McLaughlin was the best free-agent available – but he hopes Gould can show he’s ready.
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"I think he’s got a chance to play Monday," Shanahan told Wagoner. "If not, we expect him back the following week."
Gould this season has made 13-of-20 field-goal tries and all 26 of his extra-point attempts. With a new holder and three long snappers this season, Gould has been much more inconsistent than in past years. Over 2017 and 2018, Gould missed a total of just three field-goal attempts.
Monday night’s game between the 8-0 49ers and 7-2 Seahawks is set for kickoff at 5:15 at Levi’s Stadium.
