49ers To Make George Kittle the NFL’s Highest-Paid Tight End

As offenses have evolved, tight ends have become more versatile, and thus, more valuable than ever.

Now, they’re getting paid like it:

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1293923315220914176?s=20

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the San Francisco 49ers are signing George Kittle to a massive five-year contract worth up to $75 million. Most importantly, the deal is expected to include more than half of it guaranteed and an $18 million signing bonus. The folks at the Pardon My Take podcast – of which Kittle has often been a guest – offered more specifics. PMT tweets the deal includes $30 million guaranteed at signing and $40 million guaranteed for injury.

Kittle, 26, is one of the NFL’s premier tight ends. The Iowa product has back-to-back Pro Bowl nominations under his belt and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2019. Last year, Kittle posted an 85-catch, 1,053-yard, 5-touchdown season. Kittle has racked up consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons for an offense that has become one of the league’s best. Not bad for a 2017 fifth-round pick who was the ninth tight end off the board.

Or to put it another way, someone who went 101 picks after Adam Shaheen.

It was only a matter of time until tight ends encroached on wide receiver money. For instance, the total guarantees and average annual value puts Kittle near the vicinity of a top-10 paid receiver. No matter how you slice it, it’s a whopper of a deal. One that resets the market after Austin Hooper’s agreement with the Browns did just that back in March.

(Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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