49ers’ Kittle: 4-year extension value $76.4M

Moments after striking the completing touches on his 8th NFL season, tight finish George Kittle made it transparent that he needs to complete his profession the place it began: with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kittle took a vital step towards achieving that function as he signed a four-year contract extension that can stay him with the one NFL group he has ever identified during the 2029 season, the Niners introduced Tuesday. Kittle advised the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast previous that the deal used to be value $76.4 million.

The extension comprises $40 million in assured cash, Kittle stated, and can virtually no doubt decrease Kittle’s up to now scheduled 2025 wage cap collection of $22,085,000. That cap hit would exceed his earlier absolute best cap hit via rather less than $10 million.

“In 2017, our first year with the 49ers, we selected a skinny tight end from Iowa whom we were really excited about,” GM John Lynch stated in a commentary. “We had high hopes, but no one knew that he would become the player that he is today.

“He has an excellent sense of satisfaction in his function and has put within the paintings to be probably the most highest tight results in the NFL.”

Kittle, 31, had vowed to keep playing “till the wheels fall off,” in position to play his entire career with the team that selected him with a fifth-round pick..

“My function is to put on the purple and gold my complete profession,” Kittle told ESPN on Jan. 5.

Even if the extension doesn’t guarantee that will happen, it undoubtedly gives Kittle a strong chance to reach a more short-term goal: joining the 49ers’ 10-year club. That club honors players who have played at least 10 consecutive seasons in San Francisco and includes 51 players since the team’s inception in 1946. The club hasn’t added anyone since tackle Joe Staley in 2017.

Kittle will be entering his ninth season in 2025, meaning he’d need to just play one of the additional years added to his deal to be the next member. It’s something Kittle called “an enormous function of mine.”

If Kittle continues at anything near his current trajectory, he should have no issue pushing to 10 years in San Francisco and beyond, as he’s coming off one of his best seasons.

In 2024, Kittle ranked third among tight ends in receiving yards (1,106), tied for second in touchdowns (eight) and was first in yards per reception (14.2) while continuing to be a key blocker in San Francisco’s rushing attack. That production landed him his sixth Pro Bowl selection and another All-Pro honor (second team, his fifth nod on the first or second All-Pro teams).

Kittle also became one of five tight ends in league history to have four or more 1,000-yard receiving seasons, alongside Travis Kelce (seven), Rob Gronkowski, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten (four each). He also surpassed Gronkowski for the second-most receiving yards by a tight end in his first eight seasons in the NFL (7,380), trailing only Kelce.

“[He’s] higher with time,” linebacker Fred Warner stated. “Like high-quality wine. He’s doing a heck of a role. He’s all the time been nice, however the truth that he is making the performs that he is making at the moment at this level in his profession has been extraordinary.”