The major blemish on an otherwise decent offseason for the San Francisco 49ers remains, as George Kittle still has not signed a new contract.
The tight end was recently voted the NFL’s No. 7 overall player, after his first First-Team All-Pro recognition in the 2019 campaign that saw San Francisco make a run to Super Bowl LIV.
One positive was locking down defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who was given a huge $85 million contract as the 49ers’ front office navigated a tricky financial situation with both Armstead and now-Indianpolis Colt DeForest Buckner due new contracts.
However, many expected Kittle’s new contract to follow quickly after, but that has not happened, and according to NFL’s Mike Silver, it’s still not close to happening.
“I talked to Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, yesterday, and he said progress has been minimal, and later reinforced that by texting me an inchworm emoji to underscore that fact. It’s not just money. There is structure, and how much money a player like George Kittle could get upfront, how much would actually be guaranteed.”
That is certainly not a good sign, but not also overly shocking. The fact of the matter is, there are still a large amount of moving pieces in this deal.
49ers’ Cap Space, Recent Activity
With opt-outs, injuries and running back Raheem Mostert’s trade request, there has been a variety of different tasks general manager John Lynch and the 49ers have had to tackle.
This is not to mention that the money that Kittle is asking for is probably more than the 49ers currently have space for, with just $11.8 million in space according to Spotrac.
With players coming in like TE Jordan Reed and DE Dion Jordan, the 49ers are still settling and navigating towards their final 53. They may be attempting to completely set up their options so that they can trim the salaries and make the cuts required to eventually have the money to sign Kittle.
That’s just a theory, but it’s the only reason other than the fact the 49ers just don’t plan to re-sign Kittle, which obviously seems unlikely and like the wrong move.
Silver Speaks Further on Talks with Bechta
Silver went on to speak on why he thinks this process has gone slowly for the two sides, citing a fundamental difference in view.
“And at the heart of all this has been somewhat of a philosophical divide between the 49ers, who say, ‘Listen, we want to pay you more than any tight end ever because you’re the greatest tight end,’ and Kittle’s camp, which is saying, ‘Don’t view me as a tight end. I was just voted the seventh-best player in football at any position.'”
The two sides both have a point. As Silver points out, the 49ers obviously would prefer to keep their top offensive talent, but there’s a difference between paying a team’s best offensive talent, and one of the whole league’s best talent.
Kittle does transcend other tight ends in terms of value, but it’s just a matter of whether the 49ers think that he is worth that pay. Either way, Silver made a bold prediction regarding the immediate future.
“I think this week will be a very, very pivotal week for George Kittle and the 49ers.”
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, Mont. Reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier and join our 49ers community at Heavy on 49ers on Facebook.
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George Kittle’s Agent Explains ‘Minimal’ Progress With 49ers: Report