SANTA CLARA – George Kittle’s days as the most prolific tight end in 49ers history are now numbered … through at least 2029.
Kittle, a league source confirmed, has agreed to a four-year extension on his contract, which was set to expire after the 2025 season.
The $76.4 million deal averages $19.1 million per year and makes Kittle the NFL’s highest-paid tight end, as first reported by Bussin’ With The Boys, a show featuring former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. Kittle gets $40 million guaranteed, including $35 million at signing and $5 million in 2027.
Kittle was slated to make a $14.4 million base salary this season and count $22 million against the salary cap, the latter of which ranks highest among NFL tight ends. However, the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride reset their market April 3 when he agreed to a four-year contract worth $19 million per season, vaulting him ahead of Kittle, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce ($17 million per year) and Minnesota’s T.J. Hockenson ($16.5 million).
Make no mistake, this franchise feeds off his leadership, positive spirit and on-field production, perhaps more than ever amid this offseason’s rebound from a roster overhaul.
Whether or not Kittle plays his entire career with the 49ers — a goal both he and the 49ers’ brass have declared — remains to be determined. That has happened with only six of their 28 players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jimmy Johnson, Leo Nomellini, Bob St. Clair, Dave Wilcox, Bryant Young and Patrick Willis.
“We want George to retire a Niner. He’s a Niner through and through. We want that to become a reality,” general manager John Lynch said at February’s NFL scouting combine. “…. That’s something we all want to see become a reality, including George.”
Kittle, the seven-time captain, six-time Pro Bowler and five-time AP All-Pro, showed up Friday to work out as the 49ers concluded the first week of their voluntary offseason program.
Kittle’s deal comes as the 49ers are negotiating an extension with Brock Purdy before he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, not to mention the potential revision of linebacker Fred Warner’s contract that expires in two years.
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings and right tackle Colton McKivitz are the only other sure-fire starters entering the final year of their respective contracts.
Kittle trails Terrell Owens by 54 catches and 1,192 yards for the No. 2 spots in 49ers receiving lore behind Jerry Rice (1,281 catches, 19,247 yards).
“Hopefully I can eventually catch T.O.,” Kittle said before last season’s home finale against the Detroit Lions. “I don’t think I’ll ever catch Jerry Rice on anything but that’s totally fine, I’m OK with that. I don’t think I want to play that long.”
Kittle turns 32 on Oct. 9, about three weeks before the NFL’s so-called National Tight Ends Day celebration (the fourth Sunday of October) that was sparked by Kittle and then-teammates tight end Garrett Celek and Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018.
Kittle led all 49ers receivers last season with 78 catches, 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. He is the only tight end in 49ers history to reach the 1,000-yard mark, doing so in 2018, ’19, ’23, and ’24. That matches Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski and, Jason Witten as the only NFL tight ends to do so four times, behind Kelce’s seven straight seasons (2016-22).
“I’m just very excited I got to spend eight years with the San Francisco 49ers, hopefully will continue to play here, because it’s a storied franchise,” Kittle said Friday when asked about his place among NFL all-time time ends.
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Kittle said four months ago he planned to play “until the wheels fall off or until my wife tells me to stop playing.”
Since then, Kittle has enhanced his global presence as a superstar, between accepting the Salute to Service Award at NFL Honors on Feb. 6 before the Super Bowl in New Orleans, and more recently enjoying ring-side life at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. He has taken side trips to Manhattan and Montana, and gone international from Mexico to Canada to France. He has also hosted teammates at his offseason home and practice field in a Nashville suburb.
Come this season, he could be sent on more receiving routes with fewer pass-blocking duties, courtesy of the 49ers’ other big financial move thus far this offseason, the signing of free agent Luke Farrell (three years, $16 million).
“Kittle is really good in pass protection but you don’t always want to use a guy in pass protection when he’s really good in routes and everything,” coach Kyle Shanahan said at last month’s NFL owners’ meeting. “So having another tight end with the length to block defensive ends is important. You can double-team inside guys with him and get somebody like Kittle out in routes.”
His out route from the 49ers? Contractually, it won’t come until after 2029.
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