San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle set a new record during the team's Week 14 home contest against the Denver Broncos. With 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Kittle hauled in a pass from quarterback Nick Mullens and ran it 52 yards before being tackled by Broncos safety Justin Simmons:
George Kittle sets a franchise single-season record for total receiving yards by a tight end on this 52-yard play. #49ers #DENvsSF #GoNiners #49wz pic.twitter.com/Xo84EFzPts
— Peter Panacy (@PeterPanacy) December 9, 2018
Those 52 yards put Kittle above the 965 receiving yards former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis had back in 2009, which was then the single-season franchise record.
Kittle, who entered the game with 893 yards on the season, needed just 73 to surpass Davis for a new Niners record. Early in the second quarter, and with San Francisco up 6-0, the second-year tight end has 94 on the game and counting. If he's able to reel in 13 more yards during the game, he'll become the first 49ers pass catcher to reach 1,000 receiving yards on a season since wide receiver Anquan Boldin did it back in 2014.
Update: Kittle hauled in an 85-yard pass on the 49ers' subsequent offensive possession, running in for a touchdown and becoming the first tight end in Niners history to reach 1,000 receiving yards:
George Kittle adds 85 yards to his already-new franchise single-season receiving yard total for tight ends. Becomes the first #49ers 1,000-yard receiver since Anquan Boldin (2014) and the first 1,000-yard tight end for SF. #GoNiners #49wz pic.twitter.com/71bCrJ30T8
— Peter Panacy (@PeterPanacy) December 9, 2018
Stay tuned as the Niners look to expand their lead over the visiting Broncos in Week 14. And, of course, congratulations to Kittle on what has been a storybook season.