George Kittle might be the most expensive tight end in football, but his contract remains the biggest bargain possible.
There's a better chance now All-Pro tight end George Kittle spends the rest of his pro career with the San Francisco 49ers.
This, following the news of a four-year extension signed not long after the 2025 NFL Draft wrapped up, which will keep the 2017 fifth-round pick out of Iowa in a Niners uniform through 2029 when he'll be 36 years old.
Yes, that's a very good thing. Kittle isn't just a fan-favorite, he's also a cornerstone piece to the franchise, and it helps to acknowledge his 7,380 receiving yards rank third most in franchise history behind only Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens.
Third contract ✅
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 29, 2025
Pretty happy 👍 pic.twitter.com/wV0XtpK2DC
The extension is worth up to $76.4 million, $40 million of which is guaranteed, and the annual average is $19.1 million. This is a shade over what was previously the biggest contract given to a tight end, that of the Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride, who inked a deal worth $19 million per year earlier this offseason.
It sounds expensive, especially considering San Francisco's recent trend of not wanting to reset contract markets.
But, in light of Kittle's overall value, fans understand the new extension is actually quite the bargain.
Here's why.
George Kittle remains an affordable offensive commodity
Kittle is the unquestioned best all-around tight end in football. Sure, the Las Vegas Raiders' Brock Bowers might have taken home first-team All-Pro honors, but he doesn't hold a candle to Kittle in the blocking department.
So, in that regard alone, Kittle holds value as a mid-priced offensive lineman, and all one has to do is look at the free-agent deal former 49ers left guard Aaron Banks signed with the Green Bay Packers back in March that'll pay him an annual average of $19.25 million per year.
Pretty sure teams would rather have a Kittle than a Banks.
From the pass-catching perspective, Kittle just wrapped up his fourth 1,000-yard receiving campaign and has now done that in two consecutive years, suggesting he's still playing at an elite level.
If Kittle was merely a wide receiver, his $19.1 million per-year average would rank 22nd among all wideouts, just above the Houston Texans' Christian Kirk's deal, worth $18 million per year.
Teams would probably rather have a Kittle than a Kirk, too.
Now, it's certainly a fair argument to say tight ends of Kittle's ilk are rare and vastly undercompensated, not unlike how do-it-all All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey felt an offseason ago when he asked for a higher salary despite already being the highest-paid tailback in the league at the time.
Still, in terms of a net return on investment regardless of position, Kittle is one of the biggest bargains going right now even after the hefty extension.
Contractual figures, courtesy of Over the Cap unless otherwise indicated.