49ers tight end George Kittle reached rarified air with his production in the 2024 season.
George Kittle was undoubtedly the 49ers’ best offensive player in a hugely disappointing 2024 season.
Kittle recorded a second successive 1,000-yard campaign — his fourth overall — racking up 1,106 receiving yards and scoring eight touchdowns.
He was clearly the most efficient tight end in football, ending the season with a total Expected Points Added of 95, the most among any player at the position, with Brock Bowers (92.21) second.
Bowers won first-team All-Pro ahead of Kittle, having set NFL records for the most receptions in a single season by a rookie (112) and the most receiving yards in a single season by a rookie tight end (1,194).
However, his production came with a target share of 25.84%, compared to 18.32% for Kittle.
Kittle did a lot more with less, with Brock Purdy spreading the ball around even as injuries bit at wide receiver and running back. In 2025, Kittle will again be the focal point of the offense, but it’s unlikely he’ll top his production of 2024.
That statement is not a prediction of a decline for Kittle, but rather an acknowledgement of how rare Kittle’s 2024 season was.
In comparing Kittle’s efficiency to the top wide receivers in the game last year, Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life pointed out that Kittle’s season marked only the fifth time a player had gone for 1,100 yards on fewer than 100 targets.
Though team-wide offensive performance is more stable year-to-year, it is unrealistic to expect Kittle to repeat such a statistical rarity.
The 49ers will obviously hope they have no need for him to do so. With Christian McCaffrey returning to the backfield to boost the passing game and Brandon Aiyuk due to make his comeback from the knee injury he suffered last year at some stage in 2025, Purdy will have the opportunity to spread the ball around to more of his favorite targets.
On top of that, Purdy built an encouraging rapport with 2024 first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall late last year, and already has an excellent understanding with Jauan Jennings. Additionally, there have been positive signs in offseason practices from Jacob Cowing and rookie Jordan Watkins, while Purdy has also spoken glowingly of veteran addition Demarcus Robinson.
With everyone healthy, San Francisco shouldn’t require historic levels of efficiency from Kittle because of the pass-catching depth the 49ers have at their disposal. The Niners will look for the likes of Pearsall, Jennings and Robinson to step up and — alongside McCaffrey — take some of the burden off Kittle even before Aiyuk makes his return.
Still, given how devastatingly effective he continues to be, it is highly likely Kittle will remain Purdy’s No. 1 target as the 49ers seek a bounce-back in 2025.