The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a crucial offseason, ready to bounce back after a tough 2024 season. A new-look roster has the 49ers facing a lot of questions going into a new campaign, especially when it comes to facing a very competitive NFC West. But as the 49ers prepare for the fall, superstar tight end George Kittle is already noticing a key difference between last year’s team and this year’s– giving him plenty of confidence that the team will have a successful season.
Kittle, who signed a massive four-year extension with the franchise this offseason, noticed that this season’s roster already has one vital difference from last season– participation in all phases of offseason workouts is much better than it was. 2024 was challenging in a lot of ways, especially when it came to contracts, but so far this season, those issues have been averted.
Kittle’s Comments
On June 13, Kittle went on The Pat McAfee Show and spoke about a variety of topics, from the NFL offseason, to Tight End U and many more. But thing that he spoke on was the vibes surrounding the team and how he is already noticing how much better 2025 has started– even with the franchise experiencing a massive roster exodus in the offseason.
“Everybody was there since Phase One,” Kittle said via the PMS. “So, you just build those relationships a little bit quicker, get to see guys make plays. We have a ton of free agents. We have a ton of young guys. There’s some openings on our roster; that’s pretty obvious. We’ve had a lot of departures, key departures, and a lot of opportunities for young guys to step up and take advantage of those opportunities. Seeing those guys kind of make some cool plays during OTAs was kind of fun to see, and hopefully, that just carries over into camp.”
Kittle’s confidence is music to the ears of 49ers’ fans. Falling short of a Super Bowl title in 2023, the 49ers regression last season brought on questions about how much longer their Super Bowl window is open. But after extending guys like Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner— and agreeing to those contracts way before training camp, it proves that the team is all-in this season and are doing whatever they can to avoid distractions.
The State of the 49ers Roster
One glaring part of Kittle’s comments are about the openings on the 49ers’ roster. Many of the positions are set, with quarterback, running back, tight end, left tackle, among others being locked in but when it comes to other positions, the 49ers will have plenty of competition. Losing guys like Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and others have forced the 49ers to rely on younger, cheaper and unproven players. And while that could pay off in the long run, especially if they become superstars, things could be tough in the short term– with rookies needing an adjustment period upon entering the league.
Whatever the case may be, the franchise will get to see its new roster in action for the first time when the 49ers take on the Denver Broncos on Aug. 9 for the Week One of the preseason.
