Tag: George Kittle

George Kittle extension with 49ers would give him rare opportunity

10-year Wall for George Kittle?

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is slated to enter the final year of his contract in the 2025 season. If he gets beyond 2025, he’ll be in line to do something that has become exceedingly rare in 49ers history.

Kittle in 2020 inked a five-year, $75 million extension with the 49ers and he’s on track to play out the entirety of that deal. He told FanDuel’s Kay Adams he wants to spend his entire career in San Francisco, and assuming he has more than one year of football left, a new contract would be in order to help him fulfill that wish.

Adams asked Kittle if there were any extension talks happening and Kittle looked at his watch before answering.

“Waiting on them,” Kittle said. “I think there’s been talking. We’re mildly on the same page.”

When pressed on why there’s a delay on a new contract, Kittle responded “I have no idea. I just work here. My agent does that stuff.”

If Kittle does get an extension, he would get to the 10-year mark with the 49ers and earn a spot on the franchise’s 10-Year Wall. That’s an area reserved only for players who spend at least 10 years with the franchise.

It would make sense that the 49ers would want to keep Kittle in red and gold for the foreseeable future. While he turns 32 in October, he’s revived his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. The 49ers also don’t have anyone waiting in the wings to take over as their starting TE.

Only 51 players all-time have earned a spot in that exclusive club. The last player to get on the wall was left tackle Joe Staley, who was drafted in 2007. Vernon Davis (2006 draft) and Frank Gore (2005 draft) also made it to the 10-year mark. Kittle has an excellent shot at joining them with Year 9 coming up and a potential contract extension looming.

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Stars around the league make their pitch to Myles Garrett

The Browns star has recruiters around the league already

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has been busy this week on his Radio Row media tour.

The reason? To get his name out there after requesting a trade from Cleveland earlier this week.

The NFL and its star players have taken notice of the news surrounding Garrett’s trade request and his clear intention to leave the team. Bills defensive tackle Dion Dawkins and 49ers tight end George Kittle are two of the latest players to comment on the potential trade.

When asked which NFL player he would like to add to the Bills roster, Dawkins said, “Myles Garrett, right now, come rock with us. Let’s win a Super Bowl.”

While a trade to an AFC team would be difficult, Garrett would be an immediate upgrade to any NFL roster, especially a contender like Buffalo.

Kittle also weighed in on Garrett’s situation during an appearance on FanDuels Up & Adams show:

“I think Fred (Warner) would love to have another solid defensive lineman to make his job easier,” Kittle said. He also joked that he and Garrett could be best friends if the star defender were to join the 49ers via trade.

Recruitment season has officially begun this NFL offseason, and Myles Garrett is the player everyone wants. Rumors will continue to swirl as more players try to convince him to join their teams, despite him being under contract with Cleveland until 2026.

The Browns also have the second overall pick, so it remains to be seen what type of future they will build with the potential return of their star defender.

Pro Bowlers discuss Seahawks DL Leonard Williams’ pick-six

Pro Bowlers discuss Seahawks DL Leonard Williams’ pick-six

Perhaps the single greatest play from the 2024 Seattle Seahawks was defensive lineman Leonard Williams’ pick-six against the New York Jets. Seattle was trailing 21-7 and the Jets were knocking on the door of blowing them out, putting them in a hole too deep to climb out from. But then came Williams, heroically snagging the ball away from Aaron Rodgers and getting the Seahawks back on the board.

From there, Seattle’s defense pitched a shutout against the Jets.

Side note, forgive the typo in the tweet. It was actually a 92-yard pick-six, but at the time it was reported it was 91. The 92 was an amendment later.

Of course, with such a massive play, especially coming from a lineman, it was bound to turn a few heads… especially from fellow Pro Bowlers. In Orlando, several Pro Bowlers – including teammates Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba – were asked just how fast do they think Big Cat got on his impressive run. From what you will see below, he is held in high regard among his peers.

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49ers may look for George Kittle replacement with 1st pick in NFL draft

The star tight recorded 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and 12 total touchdowns on his way to winning college football’s Mackey Award.

Early mock drafts have penned different defensive linemen, offensive linemen and defensive backs to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round. While it’s easy to see the holes on the 49ers roster on both the offensive and defensive line along with the secondary, is there a case for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to pursue an offensive playmaker with their first pick in the 2025 edition of the draft?

The first round is littered with blue-chip caliber prospects at multiple skill positions, headlined by players like Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillian, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Missouri’s Luther Burden and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.

While each of those players would add a spark to Shanahan’s offense, one player from the 2025 class could be too hard to pass on if he’s available when the 49ers are on the clock, regardless of position.

After a stellar season at Penn State, Tyler Warren emerged as the best tight end in the 2025 draft class. On his way to helping Penn State punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff, Warren exploded for 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdown receptions. Warren added four rushing touchdowns for the Nittany Lions.

On his way to winning the John Mackey Award for the nation’s top tight end, Warren showed off a flurry of traits worthy of a top draft pick. At 6-foot-6, 257 lbs, Warren has a large catch radius with the ability to win contested catches with power. In the 2024 season, Warren earned a 93.3 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.

Warren’s size and power transition well to the run game where his blocking holds up to his ability as a receiver.

Warren’s versatility and ability to line up at multiple positions on the field, including in the backfield at fullback, gives Shanahan another chess piece on the field. Warren could play alongside Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk as he becomes comfortable in the 49ers offense, while also playing outside as a receiver.

The Penn State tight end could potentially help extend Kittle’s prime, taking pressure off as blocker on the edges or as a target for Brock Purdy. The six-time Pro Bowler has missed eight games over his last four seasons. Warren’s addition to the tight end room would give the 49ers depth at the position that they’ve missed.

While there’s absolutely a case for the 49ers bring in a trench player like an offensive lineman or defensive lineman along with a player in the secondary, Warren’s skillset could be enough to catch the eye of Lynch and Shanahan.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Panthers great Ryan Kalil forms all-star ownership group to acquire majority stake in pro football team

Former Panthers C Ryan Kalil, with some help from a handful of very familiar names, is now a controlling owner of a pro football team.

Carolina Panthers great Ryan Kalil is back in the game.

As announced on Monday, the former All-Pro center and six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin have acquired a majority stake in Fundidores, an American football team based in Monterrey, Mexico.

Kalil and Griffin, also partners in their production company Mortal Media, formed an ownership group comprised of quite a few more all-stars to complete the acquisition—including Julius Peppers, Jonathan Stewart, Greg Olsen, Luke Kuechly, Ron Rivera, Christian McCaffrey, Sam Darnold and George Kittle.

The duo will seek to elevate the league (Liga de Fútbol Americano) and the team, starting with its rebranding as Osos Monterrey.

“Football isn’t just a game—for many of us, it’s defined who we are,” Kalil stated, via an official press release. “This won’t be a passive investment; it’s an opportunity to help grow the game internationally alongside lifelong friends who bring unmatched experience and perspective from playing at the highest level of professional sports.”

In addition, Mortal Media will produce a documentary chronicling the exciting venture.

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Cardinals TE Trey McBride reflects on Pro Bowl season, tight end role models

@EdEastonJr spoke to Arizona Cardinals star Trey McBride about his Pro Bowl season and his tight-end role models in the league.

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride.

In his interview with Easton Jr., McBride, on behalf of Rockin’ Protein, discussed his partnership with the high-quality fitness drink and reflected on his Pro Bowl season and his tight-end role models in the league.

“A few things stuck out to me when choosing this protein company,” McBride explained. “The first thing that really sticks out to me is that they’re an Arizona-based company. I wanted to do something that was local. I wanted to be something that was involved in the community here in Arizona where I’m at. And not only is it based in Arizona, you can buy it nationwide.”

https://www.instagram.com/rockinprotein/reel/DBrjRuCCQX_/

McBride set career highs during the 2024 season, finishing with 111 catches for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

“It’s a huge honor. It’s something that, obviously, I’ve dreamed about for a long time and to come to fruition finally,” said McBride. “To finally be in the same conversation as some of these great tight ends. It’s, it’s a huge honor, and something I’ve been dreaming of for a very long time.”

The former second-round pick from Colorado State mentioned two current star tight ends he models his game after.

“Yeah, it’s funny. I’ve actually watched a ton of tight ends while growing up. These guys are a little older than me, but Travis Kelce and George Kittle are other guys who really stick out to me. They do everything the right way,“ McBride said. “He’s a threat in the run game, a threat in the past game, and he does everything the right way. So I love watching all those guys play. I love watching them how they, you know, pick apart defenses, all sorts of different things. So I watch a ton of films on a ton of other guys and try to take different things from each player.”

Check out the following link for more information on Rockin’ Protein

Only 3 49ers named to Associated Press 2024 NFL All-Pro team

A trio of 49ers were honored for their respective campaigns as part of the Associated Press 2024 NFL All-Pro team.

49ers linebacker Fred Warner, tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk were each named to the Associated Press 2024 NFL All-Pro team.

Warner was a first-team All-Pro selection defensively, while Kittle and Juszczyk were second-team All-Pro choices offensively.

Playing in all 17 games this season, Warner racked up a team-leading 131 tackles. The BYU alum also tallied seven passes defensed, five tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two interceptions and one sack.

It marks the third season consecutively that Warner has garnered first-team All-Pro honors. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound linebacker notched 115-plus tackles for a seventh consecutive season. In the process, Warner became one of just two players since 2000 to accomplish this feat in their first seven seasons.

Kittle played in 15 games this season, catching 78 passes for 1,106 yards with eight touchdowns. The Iowa alum became one of just five NFL tight ends all-time to have registered four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in their career.

Kittle joined the ranks of Travis Kelce (7), Tony Gonzalez (4), Rob Gronkowski (4) and Jason Witten (4) in that regard.

Among NFL tight ends, Kittle’s 2024 numbers ranked fifth in receptions, third in receiving yards and tops in yards per reception. The 6-foot-4, 250 pound tight end’s four 100-yard receiving games were the most of any tight end in the league. Kittle’s eight touchdowns were also the most of an NFC tight end.

Juszczyk earned his second career All-Pro nod. The Harvard product caught 19 passes for 200 yards and a pair of receiving scores and also carried five times for 26 yards with one rushing touchdown.

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49ers superstar comments on potential contract extension after huge year

San Francisco star tight end George Kittle commented on his contract status with the franchise as the 49ers move into the offseason.

As San Francisco heads into the offseason following its 47-24 loss at the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers are now beginning to answer questions on their collective futures.

Star San Francisco tight end George Kittle showed he is still one of the NFL’s finest with another 1,000-yard receiving season.

With his latest 1,000-yard receiving season, Kittle joined the likes of Travis Kelce (7), Tony Gonzalez (4), Rob Gronkowski (4) and Jason Witten (4) as one of only five tight ends with four or more 1,000-yard receiving seasons in NFL history.

Kittle ended his 2024 campaign with 78 receptions for 1,106 receiving yards and eight scores.

As the offseason arrives, it also means Kittle is heading into the final year of his contract with the 49ers. Kittle was asked by ESPN reporter Nick Wagoner what he is expecting in regard to a potential contract extension this offseason.

“Whatever the front office wants to do, I’m all ears,” Kittle said initially.

Then, the 49ers star delivered the message that all of The Faithful wanted to hear.

“My goal is to wear the red and gold my entire career,” Kittle said.

Kittle signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension in August of 2020 and he carries a $22,085,000 cap hit in the 2025 NFL season. Kittle was initially drafted by the 49ers out of Iowa with the 146th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

At the time, Kittle’s $15 million per year was an NFL record for a tight end in terms of average annual value.

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49ers inactives: No Brock Purdy or Deebo Samuel, but George Kittle active vs. Cardinals

A look at which 49ers players would not dress or play in Week 18 against the Cardinals

The San Francisco 49ers entered their Week 18 finale on the road against the Arizona Cardinals with several starters ruled out. Quarterback Brock Purdy, receiver Deebo Samuel and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir were all ruled out with injuries.

Other starters — tight end George Kittle and right tackle Colton McKivitz — were questionable.

Both Kittle and McKivitz would dress for the game and play. They were not among San Francisco’s inactive players for the game.

Below are the players they deactivated:

49ers Week 18 inactive list

  • QB Brock Purdy
  • WR Deebo Samuel Sr.
  • CB Deommodore Lenoir
  • DL Robert Beal Jr.
  • CB Tre Avery
  • DL Khalil Davis
  • RB Israel Abanikanda

With no Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Kittle and rookie Ricky Pearsall would be the primary pass catchers for quarterback Josh Dobbs, starting in place of Purdy.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

49ers injury update: George Kittle officially active vs. Cardinals

George Kittle is IN vs. Arizona.

The San Francisco 49ers will finish out their 2024 season with tight end George Kittle in the mix.

Kittle was listed as ‘questionable’ on the Week 18 injury report because of ankle and hamstring issues. He was a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice, but returned on a limited basis for Thursday and Friday.

He was not among the team’s list of inactives for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Here is who won’t suit up for San Francisco:

QB Brock Purdy (elbow)
WR Deebo Samuel (ribs, wrist)
CB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder)
DE Robert Beal Jr. (ankle)
CB Tre Avery
DT Khalil Davis
RB Israel Abanikanda

There won’t be an emergency third signal caller for the 49ers since Purdy is out. Joshua Dobbs will start and Brandon Allen will back him up. Undrafted rookie QB Tanner Mordecai didn’t get a call up from the practice squad in Saturday’s roster moves because San Francisco needed depth at other positions.

Trent Taylor was called up since Samuel is out, and undrafted rookie Drake Nugent was added to give the interior offensive line some depth.

A huge key for the 49ers on Sunday will be keeping the players who are playing healthy. Defensive end Nick Bosa is playing through hip and oblique issues, and linebacker Fred Warner is playing with a broken bone in his ankle.

Ensuring nobody is dealing with anything throughout the offseason that might impact them next year will be more important than the final score at State Farm Stadium.

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