George Kittle contract extension with 49ers is 'not pressing need'

George Kittle could get a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers but it’s not pressing, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The star tight end has two years left on his deal but the 49ers want to keep him in San Francisco for the foreseeable future while the team’s Super Bowl window is open. While others like Brandon Aiyuk are holding out, Kittle isn’t.

But that doesn’t mean a new deal isn’t coming.

“So this is not a pressing need,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “But I was told that yeah, this is a player who might need a new contract eventually or even this offseason, because he’s got two years left, had he not had the core muscle surgery. So he is tentatively coming back from an injury but he was the only tight end in the league with a 1000 yard season. Still a big part of what they do, so they might have to pay him. A lot of major decisions coming.”

Kittle topped 1,000 yards for the first time since 2019, helping the 49ers get to the Super Bowl. Ironically, the last time he did, San Francisco got to the Big Game as well.

Last year, Kittle finished with 65 catches, 1,020 yards, six touchdowns and 15.7 yards per catch. Over the course of his career, Kittle has 460 catches for 6,274 yards, 37 touchdowns and 13.6 yards per catch. Kittle was a fifth-round pick out of Iowa in 2017 and has played with the 49ers his entire career. Over the course of his Hawkeye career, Kittle didn’t break out until his final two years.

Kittle totaled 10 touchdowns in 2015 and ‘16 and finished his college career with 48 catches, 737 yards and 15.4 yards per catch, to go along with his double-digit scores.

As a member of the Class of 2012, Kittle was a three-star recruit out of Norman (Okla.) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 26 overall prospect in the state, the No. 104 tight end in the class and the No 1,801 overall prospect in the class.

It remains to be seen how Kittle is valued at his position moving forward. Sure, with more wear and tear comes less value. But until he proves otherwise, Kittle is still one of the best weapons in football and key to getting San Francisco back to the Super Bowl.