49ers All-Pro George Kittle could get even better in 2020
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s “Who Is?” series looks at 49ers tight end George Kittle and projects how the All-Pro can get even better in 2020.
If quarterbacks weren’t a thing, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle would be the NFL MVP in 2019.
Well, at least according to Pro Football Focus, he was. After all, PFF named the three-year pro the 2019 Dwight Stevenson Award winner given to their choice for the league’s best player. And Kittle’s 95.0 overall grade not only led the entire NFL last season, but it’s also the highest grade PFF ever dished out for a tight end.
Including now-Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Kittle’s accolades need no introduction, and the 2019 first-team All-Pro already has numerous records under his belt, including the following:
- In 2017, Kittle’s 43 receptions and 515 receiving yards set a new modern-era NFL record for a rookie tight end selected in Round 5 or later of the NFL Draft
- Kittle’s 1,377 receiving yards in 2018 set a new single-season record for most receiving yards by a tight end
- Kittle’s 2,945 receiving yards set a new record for most by a tight end over the first three years of his career
Relatively unknown out of Iowa, Kittle went from a promising young player to a massive NFL figurehead carrying all the accolades with him on his path to superstardom.
What’s scary is the 26 year old could end up being even more prolific this upcoming season.
Granted, Kittle’s future isn’t without doubt, and there are concerns whether or not he’ll be in a 49ers uniform over the long haul. Contracts are just as big a part of the game as touchdowns and yards, and that’s become the storyline for one of San Francisco’s perennial Pro Bowlers.
As far as things go on the field, however, Niner Noise’s “Who Is?” series for 2020 evaluates what fans may expect from one of their favorite players this upcoming season.