George Kittle is now No. 3 on the 49ers' all-time list of receivers, but could he eventually make his way onto the franchise's Mt. Rushmore?
During the San Francisco 49ers' primetime victory over the Dallas Cowboys, All-Pro tight end George Kittle reached an incredible benchmark.
In that game, he not only recorded his 500th career reception, but he also moved into the No. 3 spot on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list, getting up to 6,777 career receiving yards by the end of the game.
Kittle passed a Niners legend in the process, the late great Dwight Clark, who boasted 6,750 receiving yards in a San Francisco uniform during his own exemplary career.
A Niners legend in the making 🙌
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Now, Kittle has only two players ahead in the 49ers pantheon of greats, and you might have heard of them: wide receivers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens, both Pro Football Hall of Famers.
There's little doubt Kittle will join those two in Canton at some point. And while the outgoing tight end (or any other player ever) may never catch Rice's franchise-record 19,247 receiving yards in a Niners uniform, Kittle is threatening Owens' mark of 8,572 yards for San Francisco.
All it would take for that feat would be another couple of highly productive seasons.
Catching Owens is in Kittle's sights. But could the latter eventually emerge as one of the 49ers' four best players ever, making the so-called "Mt. Rushmore" of Niners greats?
George Kittle's claim on 49ers' Mt. Rushmore of legends
There's no questioning the fifth-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft out of Iowa is the best tight end in San Francisco history. He set numerous franchise records at the position long ago and will only add to them in upcoming seasons.
Currently, the 31-year-old veteran ranked out at No. 24 on Niner Noise's all-time list of franchise players. So, from that vantage point, he has a long way to go before landing on a team Mt. Rushmore.
Especially when the likes of Rice, quarterback Joe Montana and safety Ronnie Lott are shoo-in names cemented in red and gold stone.
A fourth spot is up for debate, of course. It could go to quarterback Steve Young, just as much as it could go to another fan-favorite, legendary running back Frank Gore, who holds the franchise record for most rushing yards.
Or it could go to Hall of Fame legends from years gone by, such as defensive tackle Leo Nomellini or cornerback Jimmy Johnson.
Either way, Kittle is still pretty far removed from a Mt. Rushmore placement, although a Super Bowl win or two in the remaining years of his 49ers tenure would sure help, as would his seemingly continuing trend of earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods.
Even if Kittle never cracks the top four of all-time Niners greats, the fact he's even in the discussion speaks measures to the career the Faithful have enjoyed watching.