San Francisco 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension (including $40 million in guaranteed money) to keep him with the team that drafted him presumably for the rest of his career. Meanwhile, quarterback Brock Purdy is still without a new deal.
Kittle’s always-affable wife, Claire Kittle, marked the occasion with an Instagram post to her nearly 400,000 followers.”Beyond proud of you [George] you’ve manifested this. The People’s TE is back again!”
The post garnered nearly 60,000 likes in a number of days and featured Kittle signing his new deal as well as a picture of the couple sharing a smooch.
Claire Kittle’s post also featured a picture of the 49ers’ famous 10-year club, a wall in the team’s practice facility featuring players who have spent 10 years or more with the team.
Photos of 51 players hang on the wall, but no one has been added since former offensive lineman Joe Staley in 2015. Kittle, who just finished his eighth season in San Francisco, is likely to be the next.
Kittle’s deal was announced via the ‘Bussin with the Boys’ podcast (hosted by Will Compton and Taylor Lewan) earlier this week. It comes on the heels of another productive season.
Kittle ranked third amongst tight ends with 1,106 receiving yards. That figure, alongside his eight receiving touchdowns and his position-best 92.1 PFF grade, earned him Second-team All-Pro honors.
The veteran tight end ranks third in franchise history for both receptions and receiving yards. He has six Pro Bowl appearances and has earned five spots on the All-Pro team.
John Lynch, the team’s longtime general manager who drafted Kittle, spoke effusively of his longtime tight end in a statement released upon the contract extension.
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“In 2017, our first year with the 49ers, we selected a skinny tight end from Iowa whom we were really excited about,” Lynch said in the statement.
“We had high hopes, but no one knew that he would become the player that he is today….He has a great sense of pride in his role and has put in the work to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL.”
