The San Francisco 49ers went against their grain by getting a notable contract done sooner rather than later this week, agreeing to a four-year, $76.4 million deal with tight end George Kittle. Kittle will now very likely spend his entire career in San Francisco, which is something he made clear he wanted and general manager John Lynch was clearly ready to make happen.
Kittle took issue with Diana Russini of The Athletic reporting his ultimately brief absence from offseason work was "contract related." Russini also reported Kittle wanted to be the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, and the Niners might be hesitant to go that high. Based on surface-level average annual value in his new deal, Kittle is now the highest-paid tight end in the league.
The absence of a contract extension and the draft could have created questions about Kittle's future with the 49ers.
But those potential questions are gone.
New report proves what the world already knew about how 49ers view George Kittle
On Thursday's edition of the "Scoop City" podcast, Russini reported a team called the 49ers with a trade offer for Kittle right before the draft:
“I know there was a team that had a conversation with the 49ers the night before the draft about a possible trade for Kittle, a second-rounder they were looking to get in return", Russini said. "They turned it down, the 49ers, and decided to keep him and really move this situation forward by getting a deal done, but there was a little interest there, some poking around.”
The 49ers turned down an offer of a second-round pick in exchange for All-Pro tight end George Kittle before the draft, extending him days later, @DMRussini reports. pic.twitter.com/TpbVQLPEJv
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 2, 2025
"A second-rounder they were looking to get in return" seems to be an implication from Russini that the 49ers were, however briefly and broadly, open to the idea of trading Kittle. But better senses were quickly come to, and a team-friendly contract extension got done days later.
It's impossible to imagine Kittle in anything other than a Niners uniform. He would go down as an all-time great in franchise history if he retired today, but he will be around a little while longer to further cement that legacy as a "49er for life" and reach even loftier statistical milestones.