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George Kittle

NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Hopkins, Rams

September 18th, 2020 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hit hard by injuries this summer, the 49ers‘ passing attack will be a shell of its optimal version Sunday. The 49ers declared George Kittle out Friday with a sprained knee. Kittle will not travel with the team to New York but will instead meet his teammates in West Virginia, where the 49ers will practice next week in between their road tilts against the Jets and Giants, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. While the 49ers are expected to have first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk make his NFL debut, being down Kittle and top wideout Deebo Samuel (on IR) will not make matters easy for Jimmy Garoppolo.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • DeAndre Hopkins signed a lucrative two-year, $54MM add-on with the Cardinals add-on recently. He will go from earning $26MM through 2021 on his previous deal to making $42.75MM — all fully guaranteed — in that span, according to Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). Hopkins’ $6.65MM 2022 base salary vests in March 2021, Breer adds. Signed through 2024, Hopkins will receive $60.1MM over the deal’s first three years — up from the $39.1MM he would have collected under the terms of his Texans-constructed contract. The final two years of Hopkins’ new deal — 2023 and ’24 — are option years, Breer adds (via Twitter).
  • Despite eating a stunning $21.8MM in dead money from their Brandin Cooks trade, the Rams dived back into the fray of high-end receiver contracts. Their three-year, $47.25MM Cooper Kupp deal includes $35.1MM guaranteed and $20.3MM in full guarantees, according to OverTheCap. Woods’ four-year, $65MM pact, which comes with $32MM guaranteed, will only pay him $4.5MM over the next two years — which were part of his previous Rams contract. However, the deal’s first new year (2022) comes with $13.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • More injury trouble for Dee Ford. The 49ers pass rusher is now battling a neck issue and is questionable for Sunday’s game. Ford, who did not practice this week, has run into extensive injury trouble during his time with the 49ers. He played through knee, quad and hamstring issues in 2019 and missed time during camp with a calf malady. The 49ers restructured Ford’s contract to create cap space; the move will make it more difficult for the team to cut or trade Ford in 2021.
  • Mohamed Sanu‘s 49ers deal is worth a tad more than the veteran minimum. The former Bengals, Falcons and Patriots wideout signed a one-year pact worth around $1.125MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, adding that Sanu will receive a $137.5K bonus — despite being an in-season addition. Although the 31-year-old target struggled to assimilate in New England, he played under Kyle Shanahan with the 2016 Falcons.
  • The Seahawks are still on the lookout for pass-rushing help. The team brought in former Chiefs second-round edge rusher Breeland Speaks for a recent workout, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. A 2018 draftee, Speaks could not make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster. He missed all of last season due to injury.

49ers, TE George Kittle Agree To Extension

August 13th, 2020 at 10:02am CST by Rory Parks

The 49ers and tight end George Kittle are in agreement on a five-year, $75MM extension, as Ian Rapoport and Michael Silver of NFL.com report (via Twitter). Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that $30MM is guaranteed at signing — including an $18MM signing bonus — and there are $40MM in total guarantees (Twitter link).

We had been hearing that this deal was expected to come together shortly, and that it would completely reset the tight end market. And it has done just that, as Kittle’s $15MM average annual value far outpaces the $10.5MM figure that Austin Hooper received just this year from the Browns. It also represents something of a halfway point between the former top of the TE market and the top of the WR market.

Still, given Kittle’s dominance as a receiver and blocker, there was plenty of speculation that his payday would come in a little higher. Indeed, some were projecting a six-year pact worth close to $100MM, but the 49ers managed to give out a historic contract while staying in their comfort zone. Kittle’s deal places him 12th among all pass catchers, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), though the guaranteed money is definitely a win for Kittle.

Since 2017, Kittle has recorded 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any tight end in his first three seasons. And, since 2018, Kittle’s had 1,464 yards after the catch, more than any other player in the league not named Christian McCaffrey. He earned his second straight Pro Bowl bid in 2019 and his first (but probably not only) First Team All-Pro selection. The advanced metrics love him just as much, as the Iowa product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated player at any position last year.

In short, the 26-year-old (27 in October) has established himself as one of the best offensive weapons in the game, and with WR1 Deebo Samuel expected to miss time with a foot injury, San Francisco may be leaning on Kittle even more heavily to start the 2020 season. The team may now turn its attention to other 2021 free agents like Kyle Juszczyk and Richard Sherman.

49ers, George Kittle Progressing On Deal

August 13th, 2020 at 9:28am CST by Sam Robinson

Aug. 13: Ian Rapoport and Michael Silver of NFL.com report that Kittle and the Niners are “closing in” on the extension, which sounds as though it could be finalized in the next day or two (Twitter link).

Aug. 12: George Kittle chimed in on his contract situation with the 49ers, shooting down a report that he had agreed to an extension (Twitter link). But the sides are hitting checkpoints as they work toward what will be a monster re-up.

The All-Pro tight end and the 49ers have made “healthier progress” on an extension agreement, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. This deal is expected to make Kittle the NFL’s highest-paid tight end by a significant margin. This has long been the expectation, with the tight end market barely moving over the past five years and Kittle emerging as one of the NFL’s best players over the past two.

Austin Hooper‘s $10.5MM-per-year Browns deal currently stands as the top tight end contract, though Hunter Henry‘s franchise tag came in at $10.6MM. Pro Football Focus’ top-graded player in 2019, Kittle has established himself on a higher tier than those two and almost every other active tight end. His 49ers extension is expected to bridge the gap between tight ends and higher-end wide receivers.

Earlier this week, Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, said progress remained elusive in his talks with the 49ers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Michael Silver). But teams are set to begin full training camp workouts in less than a week. That will increase the risk Kittle takes by practicing under the terms of his fifth-round rookie contract. The star tight end is set to make barely $2MM in base salary this season.

With Deebo Samuel expected to miss time with a foot injury, the 49ers can be expected to lean heavier on Kittle. The Iowa product, who will turn 27 in October, has combined for 2,430 yards and 10 touchdowns over the past two seasons and has proven to be an elite run-blocking presence as well. It should be expected that Kittle’s deal will help pave the way for fellow All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and Pro Bowler Zach Ertz to sign lucrative third contracts.

Latest On 49ers, George Kittle

July 29th, 2020 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers and George Kittle have kicked off extension talks, but there’s still a major gap to bridge, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). As it stands, the league’s best tight end is set to enter the final year of his contract with just $2.133MM in base pay. 

Since 2017, Kittle has recorded 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any tight end in their first three seasons – and that’s just in the regular season. And, since 2018, Kittle’s had 1,464 yards after the catch, more than any other player in the league not named Christian McCaffrey. With that in mind Kittle’s agent says that he’s not viewing the current tight end market as the comp for his client. Instead, he’s taking a page from McCaffrey’s camp – he wants a deal that reflects Kittle’s value as the NFL’s No. 1 TE, plus a little extra. In essence, Kittle puts up numbers like a supreme tight end and a WR2, all wrapped into one.

Last year, the 49ers watched Raheem Mostert enjoy a breakout season, thanks in part to Kittle’s blocking and looming aerial threat. Mostert led the team with 772 rushing yards and paced all running backs with 5.6 per carry, numbers that lifted him to a short-term pay bump earlier this week. In Kittle’s 14 games last year, SF averaged 4.83 yards per carry and tallied 23 rushing touchdowns. In the two games he missed, 49ers running backs averaged just 2.63 yards per attempt with zero scores.

We’ve seen fewer big-money deals than usual this offseason, but Kittle’s camp won’t necessarily take the pandemic as an excuse. In the last two weeks, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett have inked eight-figure deals, so the pressure is on John Lynch & Co. to get something done. Kittle’s asking price is believed to be much higher than Austin Hooper‘s $10.5MM/year watermark; possibly in the $18MM/year range.

49ers, George Kittle Far Apart In Talks

May 30th, 2020 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers and George Kittle have begun extension talks, but they’ve got a ways to go. Kittle’s agent Jack Bechta says there’s a major gap to bridge and, perhaps, some fundamental disagreement over how Kittle should be viewed.

[RELATED: Dee Ford Underwent Knee Surgery]

“I don’t care about the tight end market, I’m being paid to do a George Kittle deal,” Bechta said.

Since 2017, Kittle has amassed 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any tight end in their first three seasons – and that’s not counting the playoffs. And, since 2018, Kittle’s had 1,464 yards after the catch, more than any other player in the league not named Christian McCaffrey.

Meanwhile, Kittle’s blocking has been a game-changer for the 49ers’ run game. In Kittle’s 14 games last year, SF averaged 4.83 yards per carry and tallied 23 rushing touchdowns. In the two games he missed, 49ers running backs averaged just 2.63 yards per try with no TDs.

With that in mind, Bechta is aiming higher than Austin Hooper‘s four-year, $42MM deal with the Browns. Instead, Kittle’s agent is using the wide receiver and left tackle markets as comps to reflect his client’s value. Kittle, 27 in October, doesn’t have to settle for “tight end money” in exchange for his prime seasons. Instead, he could land something in the neighborhood of $18MM per year with a larger guaranteed portion than Hooper, who has just over 50% of his deal truly locked in.

The 49ers appreciate Kittle’s value and they’ve made his extension a priority, so we still expect a deal to come together. However, it may take a bit longer than expected for them to meet in the middle.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Kittle, Seahawks

May 25th, 2020 at 9:44am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers already know that they want to keep George Kittle for the long haul, but they also know that it won’t come cheap. Kittle is on course to become the league’s highest-paid tight end of all-time. As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com explains, Kittle’s value goes beyond the gaudy yardage and touchdown totals.

In Kittle’s 14 games last year, the Niners averaged 4.83 yards per carry and tallied 23 TDs on the ground. Without him? They averaged just 2.63 yards per carry with zero rushing scores.

“What’s amazing about him is what he does in the running game,” former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum said. “He’s a dominant blocker and he’s been dynamic in the passing game. He’s a rare weapon that I think is more valuable than just a regular tight end because he can block so effectively.”

Then, of course, there are the obvious drivers behind Kittle’s value. Since 2017, Kittle has amassed 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any TE inside of their first three pro campaigns. in NFL history. And, in the past two seasons, he’s totaled 1,464 yards after the catch, good for No. 2 in the league.

It’s pretty much a given that Kittle will top Hunter Henry‘s $10.6MM average annual value, as well as Austin Hooper‘s four-year, $42MM watermark for the largest total contract among TEs. How much further will it go? Wagoner expects Kittle and the Niners to settle for a four-year deal in the range of $68MM-$72MM with roughly $40MM in guarantees.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

Latest On 49ers, George Kittle

February 29th, 2020 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The tight end market has not moved much over the past half-decade. The Patriots refused to give Rob Gronkowski a new deal, and other teams did not move their lower-profile tight ends too far past the future Hall of Famer on the position’s salary spectrum.

Jimmy Graham‘s $10MM-per-year pact, which the Packers seem likely to move on from, currently tops the tight end market. But the 49ers will be tasked with modernizing this. They are set to meet with George Kittle‘s representation at the Combine and have already begun preliminary extension discussions, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, said (via Barrows) he will proceed with considerable patience in negotiating this deal with the 49ers. The uncertain CBA status supports that strategy, but Kittle should be expected to enter the 2020 season with a contract far more lucrative than any tight end’s current deal.

Coming off two dominant seasons, the two-time Pro Bowler is primed to raise the bar for tight ends considerably. The 49ers are prepared for this. Buzz about near-future cap spikes being greater than they were under the 2011 CBA could well affect this situation. The prospect of free agent tight ends Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper and Eric Ebron seeing big deals figure to help Kittle take the market to a new level as well.

Extensions for Kittle and DeForest Buckner will be priorities this offseason in San Francisco. The 49ers also have Arik Armstead, Jimmie Ward and Emmanuel Sanders on track for free agency. The team currently holds just $13MM in cap space — far less than it did in recent offseasons. But some big money will need to be earmarked for Kittle, a 26-year-old star who graded as Pro Football Focus’ top 2019 player.

Extra Points: CBA, XFL, 49ers, Kittle

February 15th, 2020 at 9:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There apparently could be a CBA vote coming on Thursday, and we now know of an interesting new provision. The proposed CBA would change the way fifth-year options for first-round picks work, letting some top players cash in before they can get to free agency, sources told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “If a first-round pick makes it to the Pro Bowl twice in his first three seasons, the amount of the fifth-year option would spike to the franchise tag for his position,” Florio writes. The current system is a bit complicated, with players drafted in the top 10 getting the transition tag price for their position in their fifth years.

Players not drafted in the top 10 get even less. Obviously this would only apply to a narrow slice of players, but it would represent a big pay bump for some of the league’s elite players prior to hitting the open market. As Florio points out Jalen Ramsey, the fourth overall pick in 2016, is set to make $13.7MM in 2020, which is the transition tag price for cornerbacks. Under the new proposed system he would’ve been set to make $16.4MM due to hitting the Pro Bowl requirement. We just got another update on the proposed marijuana policy, and we should hear a lot more about the new CBA this week.

Here’s more from the football universe:

  • The XFL has received a fair amount of buzz, and things certainly appear to be better set up than they were for the ill-fated AAF. One way for them to get even more buzz would be to land a big name amateur player, and the league is keeping that option on the table. “We do have the ability to sign a college freshman or sophomore. …. We haven’t dipped our toe in that pond, but we could in the future,” XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said during a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, via Andrew Perloff (Twitter link). The XFL has had a fairly successful launch, but given that they currently aren’t even offering six-figure salaries, it’s still a bit hard to envision a top college player willingly departing the NCAA ranks.
  • We’ve heard that the 49ers plan to make an offseason extension for George Kittle a priority, and it probably can’t be overstated just how much Kittle is going to reset the market. The report from a couple of weeks ago was that Kittle’s floor would be around $13MM annually, and as former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry points out, the top of the market has been stuck at around $10MM annually for a while. Corry notes that Jimmy Graham became the first $10MM tight end all the way back in 2014, but that the market has been completely stagnant ever since. In Corry’s piece, which is well worth a read, he takes a look at how the salaries for the position are going to change big time around the league. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are about to be free agents, and several other big names are going to get new deals soon. It’ll be very interesting to see what number Kittle ends up getting.

49ers To Prioritize Extension For George Kittle

February 2nd, 2020 at 10:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 2019 NFL season is officially in the books. The 49ers just lost the Super Bowl in heartbreaking fashion, but they have to shake it off quickly and turn their attention to the offseason. Star tight end George Kittle is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal in 2020, and it sounds like San Francisco isn’t going to let him get anywhere close to free agency.

The 49ers are going to prioritize an extension for the Iowa product, and negotiations will begin “as soon as after the game,” sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter video link). Garafolo thinks Kittle will “blow the lid off” the top of the tight end market, and that $13MM annually is the floor of what he can expect to get on his new contract. As Garafolo points out the current top of the market is around $9-10MM for guys like Travis Kelce, so it sounds like the market is truly going to be reset.

Given the numbers Kittle has put up during his brief time in the league, those figures aren’t shocking. A fifth-round pick in 2017, Kittle has performed well beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. In 2018 he set the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377, and he’s been an All-Pro in back to back years.

In addition to his receiving prowess he’s also one of the best blockers in the league, and he’s the engine of San Francisco’s NFC championship winning offense. As Garafolo’s NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport pointed out in the same video, the 49ers have adopted an organizational philosophy of locking guys up early and rewarding their own, so it should only be a matter of time before Kittle gets paid. It should help the sting of the Super Bowl loss. The 26-year-old recently revealed that he’s been playing with a torn labrum, but that he doesn’t plan on getting surgery.

George Kittle Will Not Get Surgery On Torn Labrum

January 27th, 2020 at 6:31pm CST by Rory Parks

At the tender age of 26, 49ers TE George Kittle has become arguably the best tight end in football. And his performance over the past several seasons is even more impressive in light of his recent revelation on a Pardon My Take podcast (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).

Kittle said that he has played the past two seasons with a torn labrum, which he sustained in a 2018 preseason game. However, he has not gotten surgery on the injury and does not plan to.

“I can’t miss those workout days, man,” Kittle said, adding that there is “no chance,” he goes under the knife.

Assuming that he can tolerate the pain, there may be no reason for Kittle to get surgery, at least until his playing career is over. As Williams points out, Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence played through a labrum tear for two seasons, though he ultimately did have it surgically repaired. Kittle, meanwhile, will continue to wear a protective sleeve to combat the injury.

The Iowa product is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason, and he may be the player to finally reset the tight end market. Jimmy Graham‘s $10MM AAV has paced the market for years, and Trey Burton and Jordan Reed are currently at the top of the heap in terms of total guarantees ($22MM). Kittle should exceed both of those figures, and San Francisco is expected to prioritize a new deal for him.

Of course, before that happens, the 49ers will vie for their sixth Super Bowl title. Kittle’s performance in this weekend’s title bout will likely play a major role in the outcome of that contest.

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