The 49ers have typically let contract negotiations drag close to the season, but they have avoided doing that this time with George Kittle.
The 49ers are used to playing the waiting game with major contract extensions and allowing them to drag perilously close to the start of the regular season.
But they have broken with tradition with All-Pro tight end George Kittle, signing him to a four-year extension worth $76.4 million. The deal was first reported by Will Compton and Taylor Lewin of the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast.
The deal sees Kittle once again become the highest-paid tight end in football, earning him an average of $19.1 million a year, surpassing the previous high of $19 million a year for Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals.
It also features $40 million in guaranteed money, with $35 million guaranteed at signing and an extra $5 million in 2027.
Kittle has long since spoken about his desire to remain with the 49ers for the entirety of his career. Now signed through 2029, the extension will almost certainly allow the 31-year-old to achieve that feat.
His contract is the first extension of a huge offseason for the 49ers that will likely be defined by the success of negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy. There is also the possibility that linebacker Fred Warner could be extended, though he has two years remaining on his deal.
Though Kittle missed out on first-team All-Pro honors to rookie sensation Brock Bowers in 2024, he was the most complete tight end in football last year, racking up a second straight 1,000-yard season, the fourth of his career. Kittle had 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns,
Kittle’s greatness in 2024 was summed up by his performance in Sports Info Solutions’ ‘points earned’ metric, which takes Expected Points Added and gives a value to every player on the field for each scrimmage play.
On receiving plays, Kittle ranked first in the NFL in the 2024 regular season with 39.49. He was also first among tight ends as a blocker with 13.84 points earned.
With Deebo Samuel now out of the picture and Brandon Aiyuk working his way back from a serious knee injury, the offense is likely to revolve around Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. The new deal is well-earned recognition of his continued importance to the 49er attack.
It may still be some time before there is tangible progress towards a Purdy deal, though him showing up for phase one of the offseason program this month was a good sign. Having seen the long stand-offs with Aiyuk and Trent Williams come back to bite them last season, Kittle’s extension is an even more encouraging signal that the 49ers are intent on doing things differently in 2025.