San Francisco 49ers reportedly locked their star tight end George Kittle to a long-term extension. According to multiple reports, the two sides agreed to a five-year, $75 million extension that makes Kittle the highest-paid player on his position.
Kittle is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2020, and 49ers were set on signing him to a new contract before the season starts. The negotiations didn’t run smoothly at first, but the organization and the player managed to bridge the gap in recent weeks and now have a deal that satisfies both parties.
The details of the deal include $40 million guaranteed, $30 million payout on the first day of the contract, and $15 million yearly salary. For comparison, the highest-paid TE in the game was LA Chargers’ Hunter Henry with $10.6 million a year, trailed by Cleveland Browns’ Austin Hopper who gets $10.5 million annually.
The issue during negotiations was that George Kittle reportedly not only asked to be the highest-paid tight end in the history but also wanted to receive a lot more on top of that. The 49ers, on the other side, didn’t want to pay the 26-year-old player a wide receiver-type of money despite the fact that he was so crucial to their offense in recent years. Ultimately, Kittle lowered his demands, and the San Francisco improved their initial offer to make a commitment for years to come.
Kittle entered the league in 2017 as a fifth-round pick and ended up massively exceeding everyone’s expectations. In the past three seasons, he recorded 216 receptions for 2,945 yards and 12 touchdowns. Kittle has two Pro Bowl nods in the past couple of years while also earning First-Team All-Pro selection in 2019.
