George Kittle has extended his stay in The Bay again.
The 49ers are signing Kittle to a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension that includes $40 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, per sources informed of the deal. San Francisco has since confirmed extending Kittle.
Bussin' With the Boys' Will Compton and Taylor Lewan first reported the news.
The $19.1 million per year pact leapfrogs Kittle over the Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride ($19 million) as the league's new highest-paid tight end.
Kittle remains firmly in the discussion for the league's best tight end heading into his age-32 season. A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro through eight NFL seasons, Kittle has amassed 7,380 yards and 45 touchdowns on 538 receptions as a Niner.
He was particularly spectacular during the 2024 campaign while catching a career-high 83% of his targets. Kittle's 78 receptions marked his most since 2019, while his 1,106 receiving yards topped all seasons outside of 2018. He also collected eight touchdowns, the second-most of his career.
Key to every aspect of the 49ers offense, Kittle was far and away PFF's best-ranked tight end last season. His overall grade of 92.1 fittingly bested McBride's second-place 86.8 grade by a healthy 5.3 points. PFF also graded him as the position group's top receiver (92.4) and second-best run blocker (70.8).
For as good as quarterback Brock Purdy has been early in his career and as prolific as running back Christian McCaffrey is, Kittle's contributions are perhaps most invaluable to head coach Kyle Shanahan's system.
His signing also helps brighten the narrative of San Francisco's offseason, a period defined by letting pricy talent go in favor of recalibrating to stay competitive for years to come.
The 49ers traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders and shipped RB Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings. They saw defensive difference makers like linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga leave in free agency and cut notable names such as defensive linemen Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins and linebacker Leonard Floyd.
San Francisco's biggest need for cap space moving forward stems from a likely future extension for Purdy, who is primed to go from making a $5.4 million base salary in the final year of his rookie deal to potentially top-of-the-line money.
Kittle's extension serves as a salve for Niners fans hurt by the parade of team favorites leaving; it could also help on the Purdy front by reducing the tight end's 2025 cap hit. After previously restructuring his old extension, Kittle was heading into this season with a $22 million cap hit and three void years to follow.
Kittle, now under contract through 2029, is set up to stay in San Francisco for likely the entirety of his prime.
However their philosophical adjustments this offseason eventually play out, knowing Kittle will stick around makes the 49ers' future considerably brighter.
