49ers to Reportedly Prioritize George Kittle Extension Immediately Following Super Bowl
By Michael Luciano
The San Francisco 49ers' passing attack relies on tight end George Kittle, a fifth-round pick who has blossomed into a superstar, creating matchup nightmares against linebackers due to his speed and physical style of play.
Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch both seem keen on getting a deal done to keep Jimmy Garoppolo's preferred target a 49er for the foreseeable future, as a Kittle extension is priority No. 1 on the ledger for San Francisco this offseason.
The Super Bowl LIV @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 2, 2020
-- The #49ers will prioritize a big-time extension for TE George Kittle this offseason, hoping to do it early.
-- Coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch are in line for extensions too, and the team will work on that. pic.twitter.com/C0JVqZWkV8
Kittle picked up 1,000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season, and also has the record for receiving yards in a single season by a tight end after he racked up 1,377 in 2018.
In addition to his almost unparalleled receiving skills, he is probably the best in-line blocker at the tight end position, as his blocks are instrumental in setting up the outside zone running that has served the 49ers well this postseason.
Through their first three seasons, George Kittle has the most receptions and yards of any TE in NFL history!
— Dalton Kates (@DaltonGuruFF) February 1, 2020
What makes this even more impressive is how efficient he has been with 9.6 YPT.
Safe to say Kittle is the new Gronk. pic.twitter.com/PSQxVbS8XF
Kittle is one of the few tight ends in the league who can shoulder the burden of being the No. 1 option in a passing attack. When you pair that with the fact that he also might be the best blocking tight end in the league, you get a player on the path to stardom in Shanahan's offense.