One of the priorities for San Francisco 49ers this offseason was trying to get an extension done with their All-Pro tight end George Kittle. And it’s safe to say that this proved to be a lot tougher than they originally thought.
Kittle established himself as one the best (if not the best) tight ends in the game in the last couple of season with two consecutive Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors. Now, as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, the 26-year-old reportedly wants to be paid accordingly and then some. This reportedly didn’t sit well with the 49ers.
NFL Network’s Mike Silver recently reported that talks between Kittle and 49ers became stagnant since preliminary discussions in February, with two sides being “not close at all” to agreeing on an extension. Silver also cited player’s agent Jack Bechta, who said that his client is looking beyond being the highest-paid tight end in football.
“I don’t care about the tight end market. I’m being paid to do a George Kittle deal,” said Bechta.
Currently the highest-paid tight end in the league based on average salary is LA Chargers’ Hunter Henry, who will play in 2020 on a $10.61 franchise tag. On the other hand, Cleveland Browns’ Austin Hooper currently has the largest overall deal, as he will get $42 million in the next four years.
Considering that he has a better track record than Henry and Hooper, George Kittle should easily get more money than these two. In just 37 starts, Kittle has 216 receptions for 2,945 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also holds the record for most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end with 1,377, which he achieved in 2018.
However, the question remains how much money would be too much for 49ers. While San Francisco is known not to shy away from big deals, it’s hard to believe they would be willing to crash the TE market completely and pay Kittle wide receiver money in the range of $15 million annually for example. But crazier things have happened, so you never know.
