Over a brief period of time, George Kittle and the 49ers went from being far apart on contract terms to reaching agreement on a long-term extension. Prior to the team’s latest investment in the All-Pro tight end, though, at least one trade conversation took place. 
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports San Francisco spoke with an interested team the night before the draft began about a Kittle trade. She adds that suitor was willing to give up a second-round pick in return for the 31-year-old. That offer was obviously rejected, and less than one week later a four-year, $76.4MM deal was in place. The 49ers wound up making 11 selections during the draft, tied for the most in the NFL.
Kittle remains on track to finish his career in San Francisco. The six-time Pro Bowler sits atop the tight end market in terms of AAV, with his $19.1MM mark surpassing Trey McBride‘s recent Cardinals extension (although it was reported not long after the Kittle deal was announced it contains a final year which notably inflates the overall average). Needless to say, the 49ers will be counting on him to remain a core contributor in the pass and run games for years to come.
San Francisco’s offensive nucleus has included big-ticket deals for the likes of Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey and wideouts Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in recent years. All but the latter member of that group is still in place ahead of the 2025 campaign, one in which the 49ers will aim to bounce back from an underwhelming, injury-riddled season. The team’s financial planning needs to take into account a lucrative long-term pact for quarterback Brock Purdy; that could be in place in the near future.
While a Purdy deal near the top of the QB market will alter the team’s cap outlook for years to come, the 49ers will remain heavily invested in Kittle for at least much of that span. The former fifth-rounder topped 1,000 yards for the second straight season (and fourth overall) in 2024, and if he can remain healthy and continue to produce at that level moving forward, the decision to retain him will prove to be a beneficial one.
$60m for Purdy! Better playoff record than Dak, Love, Lawerence, and Tua.
Combined.
Not sure Purdy will get $60M though.
Probably not, but his win/loss record in both regular and postseason dwarfs many of the top 10 paid QB’s. That was my point.
Agree. That’s why I wrote “combined” between all the above players you mentioned. Dak is 2-5 in the post, going into his 10th season. I think Tua is 0-1, Lawrence is 0-1 in the post. I forgot Loves record in the post, but he’s got a couple of wins in the post.
Negotiation power got Prescott to that figure.
Why do I feel like that team was the Jets?
They haven’t behaved like a team that thinks they can contend this year, so it would have been weird to trade a second rounder for a 31-year old. Plenty of other teams make more sense.
You think that matters to them? They live for the flashy acquisitions, contention be damned
I don’t think a brand new regime with a longer leash feels that way.
Ben Johnson knows the value a good tight end brings to the team and even though I think Caleb Williams is a bust the Bears are going to get better quickly
How are they going to get better quickly if Williams is going to be a bust?
I think a new regime with a long leash might be emboldened to make a splashy acquisition and this would have been that
They haven’t done anything else like that. I think they’re looking to build a longer term foundation.
You can have him. Going into his 10th year, and 2-5 in the post. Tony Romo 2.0
Hype
I would assume the Bears called. Offer rejected so they went with Loveland. Kittle grew up a Bears fan and Bears had two 2nds to work with.
Yes because that works out so well when the owner has zero patience for the long term process
I think a 2nd straight up for Kittle would be good process given where the Bears are at. They’ve been patient. Now they need to start improving.
When I see that Russini writes an article I immediately check to see if she mentions “sources”. And it’s pretty much a guarantee that she mentions “sources” in all her articles. Therefore, I seldom read a Russini article because “sources” could be the custodian that cleans an NFL office. But, it still qualifies as a “source”. She is a clickbait master and is not reliable, like her “sources”.
I think she’s generally pretty good as reporters of her category go, and they all use unnamed sources like crazy.
Another Russini BS report. She just throws stuff out there that could’ve happened or what she heard from some unreliable source. I have no idea why her rumors gain any traction
Russini is right plenty of the time. People who whine about “sources” would rather just have no news and that’s always been so odd to me. Why would she lie about this?
Sure she is bro, hahaha. You keep believing in fairytales spun by Russini that she puts out there post transaction. I understand that this is a rumors site but I’m always left disappointed when I click an article and it’s based off of her sources that get rebuffed by the people with true inside knowledge more times than any other “insider”
I mean, facts don’t lie. It takes about 3 minutes to see times she’s been right lately:
April 26- Stated that discussions with Kittle are moving in the right direction and she expects them to come to an agreement soon… He’s extended something like 3 days later.
April 26 (same day)- Said teams have inquiried on Kittle, but she expects he won’t be traded… He’s kept and extended.
April 24- Stated the Jags were being viewed as a team who could chaos in the draft… about 30 minutes later that happens when they move up to 2.
April 24- Stated the Giants were aggressively trying to move into the back half of the 1st round… it happens over 5 hours later.
April 23- Stated the Texans may move their 1st round pick either up or down… they end up moving back the next day.
I’ll stop there.
I think this was the Texans. They voided years to Diggs to put him in a wall year with them and they also traded for Kirk, who is in a walk year.
I think most of us see the 49ers rebounding to closer to the Super Bowl runner ups but I think it will come down almost solely to Mcafferys health. The 49ers might turn it around a bit and get to the playoffs but without him they aren’t Super Bowl contenders. Barkleys season probably drops him into the number 2 slot but both have been otherworldly. The 49ers need him bad. I like Purdy not knocking him I think he is a Super Bowl starter on a really good team but he doesn’t have the ability to carry a team like a Lamar Jackson(I realize he hasn’t won one but his tools are undeniable).
Long story short, they’ll try to trade him next offseason.
Seems like the 49’ers offensive nucleus that the author is talking about in the article is beginning to break down due to injuries, age, team fit, and $$$money…..Kittle, while staying relatively healthy the last couple of years is bound to follow suit as he continues to age…..know when to hold em, and know when to fold em….time will tell….
San Francisco had a lot of injuries last year, but this team is also clearly on the decline. They are lucky they play in a division filled with teams without a plan themselves.
49ers should have taken the deal. There were plenty of great TEs in the 2nd round. And they could have spent their $19.1 MM per year elsewhere. 31-year-old TE on a rebuilding team doesn’t make much since.