Tag: George Kittle contract

George Kittle agrees to record-breaking extension with 49ers

George Kittle’s contract extension will make him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.

The 49ers’ biggest offseason hurdle is finally cleared. All-Pro tight end George Kittle is set to sign a five-year deal worth $75 million, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver of NFL Network.

Based on annual salary, Kittle will set an NFL record for a tight end contract at $15 million per year. The previous average annual value for a tight end on a multi-year deal was $10.5 million, set by Cleveland’s Austin Hooper this offseason.

Kittle, 26, was due to play the 2020 season on the final year of his rookie deal after joining the club as a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He was set to make $2.2 million prior to his extension. He’ll now earn well north of that.

There were a couple of things delaying the deal, including the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dollar figure an elite blocking and receiving tight end like Kittle is worth. Multiple reports over the offseason indicated the two sides were far apart on a contract, but a mutual interest in getting a long-term deal to keep Kittle with San Francisco led them to come to an agreement.

Kittle has been the 49ers’ leading receiver the last two seasons, including 1,377 in 2018 — an NFL record for a tight end. His 2,945 yards are the most ever by a tight end through three seasons.

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Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch give update on George Kittle’s contract

John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan gave an update on the George Kittle contract negotiations.

It’s impossible to navigate a conversation about the 49ers’ 2002 season and beyond without addressing George Kittle’s looming contract extension. The team has been negotiating with the All-Pro tight end on a new contract, but the two sides are still not close on a deal according to a recent report by NFL Network’s Mike Silver.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch on. Monday spoke to the media via Zoom for their season-opening press conference, and addressed the ongoing contract negotiations with their tight end.

“We’re working diligently, I can tell you that,” Lynch said. “I’m not going to get into timeframes. We are working diligently to come to a resolution. I’ve been on record saying what George means to this place. … Had a nice opportunity … to visit with George today, and I know Kyle did as well, and that’s what you welcome. We’ve tried to be respectful of the agent/player thing, but it’s always nice just to talk with the player. I think there’s a great understanding that, we’re in this thing together. We’re partners to try to get something done because it makes too much sense not to.”

It wasn’t just the GM who offered optimism about an extension for the tight end with more receiving yards than any tight end in history through their first three seasons. Shanahan told reporters he wasn’t worried about keeping Kittle in Santa Clara.

“I think we don’t have to say how important George is to us and not only as being the best tight end to me in the league, but also the type of person he is,” Shanahan said. “So, we’re doing everything we can to get that done. I do feel good about it. It was great to see George today for the first time. I know you open camp on the 28th, but all the COVID testing and stuff, today was actually the first day that we were able to see all the vets and everybody. So, it’s always hard when you’re away from people for a little bit, but to be able to sit down and reconnect with people that you know real well and stuff. It was great to see George again today and no one’s changed and I feel really good about this going forward and I feel very optimistic about it. Hopefully something will happen sooner than later. I’m not too concerned about it, though.”

Reports indicate the rift between Kittle and the 49ers derives from the scale he’s looking to get paid on. While San Francisco is happy to put him well clear of Austin Hooper’s league-high $10.5 million per year for a tight end, Kittle has his sites set outside of his position.

No specific numbers from the negotiations have been reported, but the top tight end is making $10.5 million, and the top 10 wide receivers all make $16.2 million or above. Assuming those are the numbers each side is working from, it’s easy to see where a significant divide could form before negotiations even start.

Lynch and Shanahan’s optimism is a positive sign for the moment, and Kittle reported to training camp on time.

Kittle is on the final year of his four-year rookie deal with a $2.1 million base salary due. While he can hold out, the leverage mostly lies with the 49ers who can utilize the franchise tag to keep him retained beyond the 2020 season. However, that’s not likely the route either side wants to take.

The optimism from the GM and head coach are a good first step, but the questions about Kittle’s future will linger until there’s a deal officially signed.

Report: 49ers, George Kittle far apart on extension

NFL Media’s Mike Silver said the 49ers and tight end George Kittle aren’t close on a contract extension.

A contract extension for tight end George Kittle is the biggest remaining domino to fall in the 49ers’ offseason checklist. Talks between the club and their All-Pro tight end aren’t progressing very quickly according to NFL Media’s Mike Silver.

Silver said Friday on NFL Network that Kittle and the 49ers are “not close at all” after preliminary talks in February failed and then petered out over the months since.

The issue appears to be the two sides trying to land on a measuring stick for Kittle’s contract. He plays tight end, so typically his deal would get measured against the rest of the league’s tight ends. However, Kittle is such an effective blocker and the team’s No. 1 pass catching target that it stands to reason he earns something well north of top tight end money and something closer to top wide receiver money.

Austin Hooper reset the tight end market this offseason when he signed in Cleveland for four years, $44 million and $23 million guaranteed.  Kittle’s aiming for something well north of that.

His 2,430 receiving yards are the sixth most in the NFL over the last two seasons. His 13.6 yards per reception are the ninth most in the NFL over the last three years among all pass catchers with at least 180 catches.

Kittle also graded out as the best overall player in the NFL in 2019 according to analytics site Pro Football Focus, and his value to the 49ers’ offense as a run blocker is akin to that of a top-end offensive lineman.

General manager John Lynch was on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco on April 30 and was steadfast in his belief that Kittle would be in a 49ers uniform for the long-term.

“George isn’t going anywhere,” Lynch said. “We’re going to work hard to try to get it done. I think they’ve got motivation just to really reset the tight end market, as do we, for him. It’s just finding that sweet spot, where that is.”

That sweet spot may fall somewhere in the range of a top-five wide receiver. It wouldn’t be outlandish if Kittle’s starting point was a player like Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, who inked a five-year, $85 million extension with $55 million guaranteed prior to the 2018 campaign. An AAV of $17 million is a ton for a tight end, but it becomes a more reasonable number when viewing the bigger picture of his fit in the offense.

There are a few reasons a deal may be delayed. The global COVID-19 pandemic has ground sports leagues to a halt and thrown the financial future of teams and leagues into chaos. If fans don’t attend games at all in 2020, which is a real possibility, there could be some heavy ramifications for the salary cap. It would make sense for the 49ers to proceed with some caution before handcuffing themselves against the cap with a huge deal for Kittle.

It makes sense if Kittle’s camp wants to get a deal done before this season to lock in some security for the fourth-year tight end. He does have one more year on his rookie deal though, so an extension isn’t imperative for San Francisco. They could try to kick the can down the road into next offseason to see if they have more answers about what the cap figure will look like in 2021 and beyond.

While both sides are not close, Silver said there’s still mutual interest in getting a deal done.

“You talk to the 49ers, they say ‘we want him. We will get this done,'” Silver said. “I know George Kittle wants to be there, but they have a ways to go in terms of figuring out his value.”

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