George Kittle warns against believing the rumors of his contract extension

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle denied reports of an impending contract extension, despite rumors that the two sides are close on a deal.

San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle denied rumors that an extension was imminent via Twitter on Wednesday, despite rumors that the two sides have made positive progress on a deal in recent days.

Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated’s 49ers site was the first to report on the topic, claiming that Kittle would sign a record-setting six-year deal on Friday. NFL insiders Michael Silver and Ian Rapoport quickly piggy-backed on the report, with both seeming to imply that a deal would be finalized in the next few days to make Kittle the highest-paid tight end in league history.

George Kittle warns you not to believe everything you see on the internet

Kittle, however, made waves on Twitter just a minute later, pumping the brakes on the seemingly huge scoop. The two-time Pro Bowler quote-tweeted a report claiming that he would sign an extension on Friday, denying the reports much to the chagrin of 49ers fans.

The reported deal is certainly consistent with the value that Kittle brings to the table as both a blocker and receiver and the 49ers have the cap space to pay him even if his demands seem outlandish. Kittle quite literally makes the offense run, playing the role of an offensive lineman and wideout with equal skill and intensity.

Kittle is entering a contract year in 2020, and with the coronavirus pandemic causing some concerns regarding both the fate of the upcoming season and the offseason salary cap number, 49ers general manager John Lynch would be wise to get a deal done sooner rather than later.

The Iowa alum is arguably the most transcendent tight end that the league has seen since Rob Gronkowski‘s prime years in New England and the Kyle Shanahan’s offense simply cannot function long-term without its best player.