George Kittle has put up better numbers against the Los Angeles Rams than any other team he’s faced in his three years as a pro. It helps that he’s faced them six times since 2017, but the Rams have had few answers for the two-time Pro Bowl tight end.
They’ll have time to figure something out, though, because he’ll be on the Rams’ schedule twice a year for the next five seasons. Kittle and the 49ers agreed to a five-year deal worth $75 million on Thursday, setting a new record for a tight end at $15 million per year with a $30 million signing bonus.
The #49ers & star TE George Kittle are in agreement on a 5-year, $75M extension, sources tell me & @MikeSilver, one that gives him more than half of it in guarantees. Language is being worked on, but numbers are there. One of their top players, this was a big-time priority 💰💰💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 13, 2020
Here are Kittle’s total numbers against the Rams in six games, all of which are the highest against any opponent he’s faced thus far:
- 32 catches (5.3 per game), 537 yards (89.5 per game), three touchdowns
And here’s a game log of Kittle’s performances against L.A. As you can see, he’s been highly productive in each game except for his debut against the Rams in 2017 when he was a rookie.
Sept. 21, 2017: 1 reception, 8 yards (3 targets)
Dec. 31, 2017: 4 catches, 100 yards (6 targets)
Oct. 21, 2018: 5 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD (8 targets)
Dec. 30, 2018: 9 catches, 149 yards, 1 TD (14 targets)
Oct. 13, 2019: 8 catches, 103 yards (8 targets)
Dec. 21, 2019: 5 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD (8 targets)
Kittle’s contract is obviously massive, but it’s well-deserved, too. He’s the best tight end in the game right now, catching passes like a wide receiver and blocking like a lineman. It’s understandable that he’d blow off the lid on the tight end market after the last two seasons he put together for San Francisco.
Comparatively, Tyler Higbee’s contract with the Rams pales in comparison to Kittle’s. Higbee’s deal is for four years and $31 million, which was signed last September. It was a surprising move by the Rams, but after seeing him erupt in December, his stock is pointing up and he could follow it up with another strong season.
Higbee isn’t the player that Kittle is, but Los Angeles looks smarter today for getting his deal done ahead of time before Kittle raised the waters for all tight ends.