The San Francisco 49ers had a tumultuous 2024 campaign. They finished 6-11 and last place in their own division one year after appearing in the Super Bowl. They’ve also traded away one of their best weapons in Deebo Samuel this off-season.
Now, it looks like TE George Kittle may be on the way out as well.
49ers Just Screwed Up Big Time With TE George Kittle (Report)
According to Nick Faria of Athon Sports:
George Kittle has been one of the best tight ends in the league for close to a decade now with the San Francisco 49ers.
Now at 31 years old, though, Kittle is entering the final year of his deal with the 49ers and is looking to remain with the team beyond just the 2025 season. The issue is that the team doesn’t appear to busy to get a deal done in the first place.
And that’s a major mistake according to Grant Cohn of 49ers on SI.’
“As soon as the 49ers’ season ended, Kittle said on the record that he would love to sign an extension and finish his career in Santa Clara,” Cohn said. “They could have given him a contract extension worth $18 million per season, and that would have made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
“But they waited. Like they always do. And now, the market has changed because the Arizona Cardinals just gave tight end Trey McBride a four-year extension worth $19 million per season. Which means Kittle’s price tag just jumped to $20 million per season at minimum.”
In San Francisco’s cap crunch, the McBride deal certainly adds another wrinkle.
With over $38 million still available this offseason, the 49ers have plenty of room to work with. However, with Brock Purdy requiring an extension, you can see where the team is focused.
However, that doesn’t mean Kittle’s new deal should be delayed.
As a result, the organization should not have waited so long. It is a very real possibility that 2025 will be Kittle’s last with San Francisco.
