49ers news: George Kittle could earn $13 million per year

Talk about a team-friendly deal between the San Francisco 49ers and George Kittle!

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, citing an anonymous insider, reports San Francisco 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle may end up re-signing for much lower than was initially expected.

A salary in the range of about $13 million per year was the number thrown around, which would be significant in comparison to other reports suggesting he could get upwards of $20 million annually.

This would be an absolute win for everyone involved, especially the Niners front office. Exact details were not released about the rumored deal, but the expectation is it would be between five to seven years in length and would include a large sum of guaranteed money, a huge signing bonus, or possibly even both.

This would not only let Kittle know that the team appreciates that he is one of the most valuable players in football but would also allow the franchise to be financially unhindered for years to come. A deal of this caliber would only account for about 6.5 percent of the team’s total cap space, according to the current cap total for the upcoming season, which is more than reasonable for the team’s best player.

Kittle could justify a price tag of about $18 million to $19 million per year, but no one would argue a deal that would tie Kittle to the franchise for years to come, while also giving the franchise the financial freedom to sign and extend other key players currently on rookie deals, wouldn’t be more than ideal for the team.

A deal of this magnitude would still make Kittle the highest-paid tight end of all time on a yearly basis, so this isn’t an underwhelming offer. Though some would argue Kittle is a market resetter and deserves to earn a salary that would keep him as the highest-paid player at his position through the majority of his contract. The fan in me thoroughly agrees Kittle should be among the league’s top earners.

But too high of price tag can cripple the organization’s ability to maintain a diverse and competitive lineup.

Whatever the case may be with regards to Kittle’s possible contract extension, I think it’s safe to say fans want this deal to get done as soon as possible. There have even been whispers of a possible franchise tag following this season, which is never good for player/organization relationships.

Ultimately, the organization and Kittle will hopefully come to an agreement that is beneficial for all parties involved. Kittle is arguably the franchise’s most popular and skilled player in the last two decades, so reaching an agreement with the superstar tight end would be in everyone’s best interest.