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The San Francisco 49ers and George Kittle have reached an agreement on a four-year, $76.4 million extension, Kittle announced Tuesday morning on “Bussin’ With The Boys.” The move makes Kittle the highest-paid tight end in NFL history and keeps him with the 49ers through the 2029 season.
The 31-year-old tight end was entering the final year of his five-year, $75 million contract that previously topped the tight end market in total value. Advertisement Kittle has already entrenched himself as one of the top pass catchers in franchise history. In just eight seasons, Kittle sits third all-time in career receiving yards (7,380), third in career receptions (538) and eighth in career touchdown receptions (45) among all 49ers players.
Among 49ers tight ends, he leads all players in yards and receptions while sitting behind only Vernon Davis in receiving touchdowns. Since being drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2107 NFL Draft, Kittle is second only to Travis Kelce in receiving yards and receptions over that span, with the third-most receiving touchdowns behind Kelce and Mark Andrews. Kittle is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and had the third-most yards (1,106) among all tight ends in the league.
The two-time first-team All-Pro selection has become one of quarterback Brock Purdy’s favorite targets, leading all 49ers players in yards (2,126), targets (184), receptions (143) and receiving touchdowns (14) since Purdy became a full-time starter in 2023. Extension crucial to building team momentum Coming off his sixth Pro Bowl season, Kittle left the 49ers little choice but to ink him to a new deal. In a 2024 season in which offensive weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel either were injured or under-delivered, Kittle was the team’s most consistent receiving threat, leading the offense in catches (78), yards (1,106) and touchdowns (eight).
Furthermore, the 49ers didn’t use any of their 11 draft picks on a tight end despite that being one of the deepest in this year’s class. Kittle remains the best blocker — and is far and away the best receiver — at his position on the team. After missing the start of the offseason program , Kittle was back in the building on April 25.
His return meant that most of the team’s star players were on hand for the voluntary session, a group that included McCaffrey, Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner. Their attendance is important for Kyle Shanahan, who’s trying to build the type of momentum this spring that was palpably absent a year ago. It’s worth noting that Kittle and the 49ers finalized their deal April 29.
His last extension wasn’t ratified until Aug. 13, 2020. — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer (Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images).
