49ers tight end George Kittle should get some nods for 2019 MVP

While the focus for the 2019 MVP award will be on the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle should at least get some minor consideration.

He won’t get it, but the voters need to at least give some 2019 MVP love to San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle.

OK, in all reality, this year’s MVP award will go to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been the talk of the season and has his squad poised to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC this year. What Jackson has done is incredible, no taking away any of that.

Even if the voters go crazy and forget to vote Jackson, they’ll likely choose Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson or Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

Still, Kittle deserves at least some of the nod, too.

A year removed from his record-setting 1,377-yard campaign in 2018, Kittle has answered back with 888 receiving yards on 73 catches with four touchdowns this season. And those numbers have come on only 12 games, as the Pro Bowler missed a good chunk of the year with both knee and ankle injuries.

Oh, and Kittle continues to play with a broken bone in his ankle.

Kittle also set yet another record, recently, breaking Hall of Famer Mike Ditka’s record for most receiving yards by a tight end over his first three years in the league. Kittle did that with an astounding 13-catch, 134-yard effort during the 49ers’ Week 15 home loss against the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday.

To date, Kittle now has 2,780 yards in his career and will likely stretch the new record over this three-year span even further.

But Kittle is doing so much more than just catching passes and picking up chunk yards after the catch. Despite what some pundits may have said about his blocking, Kittle is easily one of the best in the league at that, too. And not just among those at his position.

This Week 15 block is one of the best you’ll see, and Kittle’s post-play reaction might be the best ever:

If you’re in doubt, check out just how highly Pro Football Focus regards Kittle’s overall effort this season, as pointed out by PFF’s Jeff Deeney:

If PFF had the final say in MVP voting, the accolade would go to Kittle.

There’s far more beyond the numbers, rankings, grades and stats. Kittle has become something of a cult hero in San Francisco. And within NFL ranks, too. More often than not, the MVP race can be a popularity contest.

Kittle, with his outgoing demeanor, doesn’t lack in that department, either.

More importantly, though, Kittle is a massive reason why the 49ers are 11-3 on the season and boast one of the league’s most potent offenses. Even when it was run-heavy, Kittle’s blocking was a big reason why the ground game was so successful.

And when the Niners have been forced to pass, Kittle has left his mark in that way, too.

Even though the voters will choose Jackson, and both Wilson and McCaffrey likely have more attractive cases, many of those voters should least admit afterwards they were considering putting Kittle atop their ballots.