For all the talk about quarterback Brock Purdy and his looming contract extension, it can be easy to forget about any other prominent San Francisco 49ers player who is in the same situation.
On that front, tight end George Kittle is also entering the final year of his contract.
What the Niners have done this offseason to reduce their cash output has been done not only with Purdy's new deal in mind, but also a new deal for Kittle and (possibly) linebacker Fred Warner.
At the Super Bowl in February, Kay Adams asked Kittle about how contract talks were going.
"Waiting on them," Kittle said. When asked if that meant there hadn't been discussions yet, Kittle said, "No, I think there's been talking. I think we're mildly on the same page."
But why the delay?
"I have no idea," Kittle said. "I just work here. My agent does that stuff."
Kittle has previously said he wants to be a 49er for his entire career, and general manager John Lynch said he wants to make that happen.
PFF projects what George Kittle can command in contract extension
Kittle is currently set to count $22 million against the salary cap this year. A contract extension this offseason would reduce that.
Kittle will turn 32 years old in October, so there's some natural concern about when the age cliff will come for him. But he is coming off a season where he had the third-best catch total (78) and the second-highest yardage total (1,106) of his career. He also set career-highs for catch rate (83 percent) and yards per target (11.8).
As Fantasy Index outlined, Kittle is showing no real signs of slowing down:
George Kittle caught 83% of the passes thrown his way. Average 11.8 yards per pass attempt. That’s the 2nd-best by any TE (with at least 50 targets) since the league started tracking in the early ‘90s.
— Fantasy Index (@FantasyIndex) March 26, 2025
Kittle the last two years has two of the four best seasons in that regard. pic.twitter.com/L9TqtiK2Ib
Kittle (and Purdy, of course) made Pro Football Focus' list of 20 NFL players who are next up for a big contract extension. Writer Bradley Locker made a strong case for the 49ers' tight end all the way around.:
"Even at 31, Kittle remains arguably the NFL’s best tight end. He paced qualified tight ends in both PFF overall grade (92.1) and PFF receiving grade (92.4) while dropping a minuscule two passes and securing 70.6% of contested catches in 2024. Now with seven straight seasons of an 84.7-plus PFF overall grade under his belt, Kittle has just one year left on his contract and is poised to surpass Travis Kelce’s $17.125 average annual value."
Kittle should reset the top of the tight end market with his next contract, and the 49ers presumably have every intention to reward him in that fashion.
Even with the Purdy contract talks on the docket as well, It should only be a matter of time before something gets done with Kittle.