George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers have been in discussion for a contract extension. The tight end, who is entering his fourth season, has been a star almost immediately and has shown to be one of the pillars of the 49ers offense. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Kittle and the 49ers agreed to a five-year extension that’s worth $75 million with “more than half” in guarantees and a $18 million signing bonus.
The #49ers are giving TE George Kittle an $18M signing bonus, source said. A large sum especially in a pandemic. Mostly, he blows the doors off the TE market and they keep their own. https://t.co/WVOrQflHXp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 13, 2020
Kittle has proven he’s one of the most dynamic pass catchers in the NFL. He’s billed as a tight end and he lines up as a tight end but he’s really a wide receiver in terms of performance. That difference in a wide receiver and tight end, in terms of the bank account, is millions of dollars so that’s why Kittle’s contract negotiation was going to be interesting not only for him and the 49ers but for other players and teams.
While other tight ends may not be on Kittle’s level, they now have a leader in the clubhouse that their agent can point to for their next contract negotiation. Especially for a pass-catching tight end, Kittle’s new contract is bound to have some lasting effects for them in terms of either getting more money or if they get a franchise tag.
Kittle is coming off back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons that culminated with a record 1,377 receiving yards for a tight end. If he can maintain that output, the 49ers will be feeling fine about their deal.
