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Five yards is all that kept
George Kittle from surpassing Shannon Sharpe's NFL single-game record of 214 receiving yards by a tight end. Just five little yards — or four from matching the record.
"He should have put some baby powder in his hands and slapped all the coaches," Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders said on NFL Gameday Prime.
Kittle had seven receptions for 210 yards with a touchdown in the first half of Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos. It seemed inevitable that he would become to new record holder — even to Sharpe.
"I was on Twitter, and everybody was like, 'Man, this dude is about to break your record,'"
Sharpe said. "I'm like, 'How many yards does he have?'
"And I'm like, 'This dude got seven (catches) for 210?!'"
Kittle was held without a catch in the second half.
"I can't believe it," Sharpe continued. "Literally, I'm being honest; I would have fought somebody. Man, you've got to throw me one pass. One pass, let me get five yards, and I don't care what you do after that."
Kittle learned how close he was to the record halfway through the fourth quarter. His statistics in the first half were enough to help lift San Francisco past Denver for the team's third win of the season.
"We won," Kittle told reporters after the game. "That's about all that matters."
Shanahan was disappointed that he couldn't get Kittle the record to go along with the victory.
"I told him he needed to apologize for not getting 215 in the first half," Shanahan said. "No, I'm just joking. I definitely apologized to him. We were definitely debating on how we could do it there at the end. I didn't think it would have been a problem, but I wish that he did get it."
Quarterback Nick Mullens didn't have much trouble getting the ball to Kittle in the first half. Kittle's performance
made him the single-season franchise record holder for most receiving yards by a tight end.
Vernon Davis was the previous record holder with 965 receiving yards in 2009. Kittle now has 1,103 receiving yards this season, which also makes him the first 49ers player to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a single-season since Anquan Boldin did so in 2014.
"He was open every play, man," Mullens said of Kittle's first-half performance. "It was crazy. Shoot, all the receivers were. That's why I give the coaches so much credit. The guys were wide open. So, that's fun, man."
Despite initial reports, two draft prospects who were set to visit the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft ultimately did not meet with the team. Matt Barrows of The Athletic revealed that former USC wide receiver Brenden Rice and former Oregon safety Jamal Hill didn't end up visiting the Bay Area organization.
Barrows wrote, "Meanwhile, a report in March indicated that USC receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, would visit the 49ers, but he didn't end up coming, according to two league sources."
Justin Melo of The Draft Network first
George Kittle recently spoke with ESPN during the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where he joined other NFL stars for the golfing event. Of course, the conversation shifted toward football, with Laura Rutledge asking Kittle to reflect on the team's 2023 season, its Super Bowl defeat, and the motivation it provides for the upcoming season.
The tight end believes San Francisco maintained a competitive roster this offseason and is gearing up for another run at a championship. He emphasized the importance of maintaining good health and continual improvement for a successful upcoming season.
"Brock Purdy is a fantastic quarterback, and he's only going to get better because he's young," Kittle said. "And we were fortunate enough to be able to keep our entire
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
