Monday was a good day for Colton McKivitz.
The San Francisco 49ers starting tackle reportedly landed a massive, three-year, $45 million contract extension from the team after its season-opening 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
McKivitz, the Niners’ fifth-round pick from West Virginia in the 2020 NFL Draft, has started 35 consecutive games, including his Week 1 game against the Seahawks. McKivitz earned the 34th-best grade among 81 qualifying tackles a season ago (72.2) from Pro-Football Focus.
Why Did the 49ers Sign Colton McKivitz?
McKivitz is hardly a household name league-wide, yet he has become a mainstay on the San Francisco offensive line.
So with the price of right tackles rising around the NFL — Zach Tom of the Green Bay Packers signed a four-year, $88 million contract to protect Jordan Love’s front side this summer — and McKivitz set to enter his final year under team control, the Niners decided to lock him in.
The deal gives McKivitz $27 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who broke the news of the deal Monday morning.
McKivitz, who just turned 29 last month, is also coming off an elite Week 1 performance against the Seahawks, especially protecting Brock Purdy in the passing game. According to PFF, McKivitz posted the fifth-best grade (85.1) for pass blocking in Week 1 among 36 qualifying tackles.
Not only was Purdy only sacked once in the Niners’ win, he was only pressured once — despite his two Week 1 interceptions. They especially kept him clean on the Niners’ game-winning drive, where Purdy went 6 for 6 for 67 yards and the 4-yard, go-ahead TD throw to tight end Jake Tonges that put San Francisco ahead for good with 1:44 left.
“O-line did a great job with protection,” Purdy said to Pam Oliver of FOX Sports. “O-line did a great job giving me some time to throw a deep ball to [wideout] Ricky [Pearsall].”
What Did Colton McKivitz Say About Being On the 49ers?
McKivitz is from the small town of Jacobsburg, Ohio, which sits on the Ohio-West Virginia border. But it’s safe to say he has made a home of playing in the Bay Area, which is good since he is contractually locked in through 2028.
“I love this place,” McKivitz told “The Saloon” podcast last week. “I love the Niners and I love seeing all the greats on the wall.”
But it hasn’t been easy, since McKivitz persevered through being placed on the Niners practice squad to his rookie, COVID-19-altered 2020 season to where he is now.
“I’ve been here a while,” McKivitz said. “It hasn’t been as smooth as I would’ve hoped … I had to do a lot of soul searching on who I was as a player, and I think everything that happened leading up to that has gotten me to this point, and it’s exactly where I need to be.
“Just thankful for the journey I’ve been through.”
With his contract negotiations now in the rearview mirror, McKivitz can move ahead to fulfilling his goals. Among those, he said, is earning more recognition at his position, which he feels he took a big step toward during training camp.
“Wanting to be a Pro Bowler, that’s a goal for me this year,” McKivitz said. “I was able to stack good-on-great days and build on things not take a step back.”
He also spoke about why winning in Seattle — and potentially doing so in San Francisco’s second game in New Orleans — is gratifying.
“To open the season with two loud games, we’re going to have to be locked in in the noise,” McKivitz said. “When you go in and win in places like that, it’s fun to walk out quiet.”
49ers Sign 40-Game Starter to Huge $45 Million Contract Extension