San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle is optimistic that his record-setting deal this offseason will pave the way for tight ends across the league to see a rise in compensation.
“The only way for the tight-end market to continue to grow is if everybody’s getting paid,” Kittle said Monday on the “Dan Patrick Show.”
“You can’t just have one guy do it, and then it just sits for four years because then you’re stuck, and it’s stagnant, and no one’s getting paid.”
Kittle became the NFL’s highest-paid tight end after agreeing to a four-year, $76.4-million extension with San Francisco in April. The 31-year-old’s new $19.1 million annual salary surpassed the contract signed by Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride earlier this offseason.
Only four tight ends earn over $15 million per season: Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson, McBride, and Kittle. In comparison, 21 wide receivers command salaries of more than $20 million annually, per Over the Cap.
Kittle said he’d like to see the market value for tight ends to continue to increase, emphasizing the position’s impact as blockers and pass-catchers on any given play. The two-time first-team All-Pro joked that he wants to see tight ends succeed but “just not against the 49ers,” adding that he hopes other players keep raising the bar.
“I want guys to get paid, to keep bumping up that market, so by the time Brock Bowers is doing his contract in three years, he’s going for over $20 million, which he will,” Kittle said.
The top of the tight-end market has increased from $15 million to nearly $20 million since Kittle co-founded Tight End University in 2021, an annual three-day summit for players at the position.
Kittle, entering his ninth campaign with San Francisco, was part of a core group the Niners prioritized extending this offseason, alongside quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner. However, the club’s roster will look different, with key veterans like Deebo Samuel and Javon Hargrave moving on to new teams.
Despite San Francisco missing the postseason last year with a 6-11 record, Kittle said he isn’t buying that the squad’s Super Bowl window is closing. The 49ers have reached the NFC Championship Game in four of the past six campaigns, making two Super Bowl appearances during that stretch.
“The thing about windows is that you can just throw a chair through it and break it open,” Kittle said Monday on the “Rich Eisen Show.”
The 49ers begin the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7.
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