The San Francisco 49ers are almost guaranteed to let All-Pro tight end George Kittle round out the remainder of his likely Hall of Fame career in the Bay Area, and it makes plenty of sense. Not only is Kittle (still) arguably the best tight end going in the NFL despite being on the wrong side of 30 years old, but he's also a team leader and fan-favorite.
A problem, though, is the Niners don't exactly have much going on behind him on their roster.
This may be exacerbated by Kittle's recovery from a torn Achilles in the playoffs last January, and while signs are looking good he'll be ready to return by the regular season, any setback or delay will ultimately test San Francisco's depth chart.
Perhaps San Francisco is hinging on backups like Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell or even Brayden Willis to fill a would-be void, but the fact the 49ers boast an aging veteran atop the depth chart with few likable options behind him isn't exclusive to just the tight end spot.
It's happening all across the roster, too. And it's a potential problem.
George Kittle is an example of how topheavy 49ers roster is overall
Granted, awfully few teams boast quality depth behind every single starter on both sides of the ball. Yet the Niners seem considerably thinner behind their established core of first-teamers, Kittle included.
Yes, Tonges shone briefly in Kittle's absence a year ago, yet the former is far from an established go-to in times of need.
Flip over to running back, and the same argument can be applied to San Francisco's depth behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo and the rookie, Kaelon Black, aren't exactly well-established reserves, meaning another CMC injury could easily put the 49ers back into a bind on the ground.
Soon-to-be 38-year-old left tackle Trent Williams' backups aren't clear, and the edge-rushing depth behind defensive end Nick Bosa, too, has more questions than answers.
There are several other spots where depth is more than just a little questionable.
Kittle, one of the Niners' longest-tenured players, is part of that aging core that helped turn the franchise into a perennial Super Bowl contender. There's no doubting that. Yet San Francisco has largely whiffed at identifying younger backups and reserves, perhaps stemming from several NFL Draft misses in recent years that've forced the franchise to continue its reliance on its aging stars.
As long as that elder core holds up, the 49ers should still be fine. But if there's an acute need to dip into the depth pool behind players like Kittle, the Niners' topheavy nature could be exposed in a serious manner.
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