George Kittle’s quote after signing new deal is authentically him
By Mike Luciano
George Kittle is thrilled after signing his new deal with the 49ers.
After a solid career at Iowa, tight end George Kittle was scooped up by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft in a move that is quickly becoming one of the biggest steals in the last decade of drafting. The 49ers rewarded Kittle’s receiving prowess by blowing the tight end market wide open and giving him a new, record-breaking contract worth $75 million over five years.
Kittle said that his contract was very liberating, as he doesn’t have to worry about getting injured now that he has long-term financial stability. Kittle is amped up to get on the field this year, as he wants to “run through someone’s face.”
Classic Kittle.
#49ers George Kittle on his contract: "Now I can go on a football field and not worrying about anything, about getting injured. Now I'm taken care of and my family is taken care of, and I can just go play football, and run through someone's face, and I'm excited about that."
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 15, 2020
George Kittle might be the best tight end in football.
Despite coming into the league as a fifth-round pick out of Iowa, Kittle has quickly climbed up the tight end totem pole. Not only has he topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last two years, but he might be the best blocking tight end in the league. That combination of skills allowed him to become the featured receiving option in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
After setting a new record for receiving yards by a tight end in their first three seasons in the league, Kittle broke new ground in the tight end market, as his new deal dwarfs that of Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry. With his financial situation taken care of and his role on one of the NFC’s best team’s secure, it’s no wonder why Kittle is over the moon right now.
At an average of $15 million per year, George Kittle now becomes the NFL’s highest-paid TE, by a long shot. Before Kittle’s deal, Hunter Henry held that title with a $10,607M deal on his franchise tag.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2020
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The 49ers’ quick turnaround last season shot them right into the NFL’s elite tier after making it to the Super Bowl, and they’re poised to once again compete for a title if Jimmy Garoppolo continues to get better and Shanahan exorcises his demons that only seem to manifest near the end of games.
Kittle is their biggest piece on offense, and he’s set to dominate in Santa Clara for the next half-decade.