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Nick Wagoner
Moments after placing the ending touches on his eighth NFL season, tight finish George Kittle made it clear that he desires to complete his profession the place it began: with the San Francisco 49ers.
Kittle took a big step towards reaching that objective as he signed a four-year contract extension that may maintain him with the one NFL group he has ever recognized by the 2029 season, the Niners introduced Tuesday. Kittle informed the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast earlier that the deal was value $76.4 million.
The extension contains $40 million in assured cash, Kittle mentioned, and can virtually definitely decrease Kittle’s beforehand scheduled 2025 wage cap variety of $22,085,000. That cap hit would exceed his earlier highest cap hit by rather less than $10 million.
“In 2017, our first yr with the 49ers, we chosen a thin tight finish from Iowa whom we had been actually enthusiastic about,” GM John Lynch mentioned in an announcement. “We had excessive hopes, however nobody knew that he would turn into the participant that he’s at this time.
“He has a fantastic sense of satisfaction in his function and has put within the work to be among the finest tight ends within the NFL.”
Kittle, 31, had vowed to maintain enjoying “till the wheels fall off,” in place to play his complete profession with the group that chosen him with a fifth-round decide..
“My objective is to put on the pink and gold my complete profession,” Kittle informed ESPN on Jan. 5.
Even when the extension would not assure that may occur, it undoubtedly provides Kittle a robust likelihood to succeed in a extra short-term objective: becoming a member of the 49ers’ 10-year membership. That membership honors gamers who’ve performed a minimum of 10 consecutive seasons in San Francisco and contains 51 gamers because the group’s inception in 1946. The membership hasn’t added anybody since deal with Joe Staley in 2017.
Kittle might be coming into his ninth season in 2025, which means he’d want to only play one of many further years added to his deal to be the following member. It is one thing Kittle known as “an enormous objective of mine.”
If Kittle continues at something close to his present trajectory, he should not have any concern pushing to 10 years in San Francisco and past, as he is coming off one in all his finest seasons.
In 2024, Kittle ranked third amongst tight ends in receiving yards (1,106), tied for second in touchdowns (eight) and was first in yards per reception (14.2) whereas persevering with to be a key blocker in San Francisco’s dashing assault. That manufacturing landed him his sixth Professional Bowl choice and one other All-Professional honor (second group, his fifth nod on the primary or second All-Professional groups).
Kittle additionally turned one in all 5 tight ends in league historical past to have 4 or extra 1,000-yard receiving seasons, alongside Travis Kelce (seven), Rob Gronkowski, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten (4 every). He additionally surpassed Gronkowski for the second-most receiving yards by a good finish in his first eight seasons within the NFL (7,380), trailing solely Kelce.
“[He’s] higher with time,” linebacker Fred Warner mentioned. “Like high quality wine. He is doing a heck of a job. He is all the time been nice, however the truth that he is making the performs that he is making proper now at this level in his profession has been phenomenal.”
