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San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle is in Atlanta, Georgia this week to take in the pre-Super-Bowl festivities. He was at Radio Row on Thursday morning promoting his partnership with Skittles and
joined KNBR to discuss the Pro Bowl, his quarterbacks, and more.
"You can't spell Skittles without Kittle," The Pro Bowl tight end said on the "Murph and Mac" show regarding his sponsorship deal.
Kittle shared what it was like participating in his first Pro Bowl and meeting Brian Urlacher, a childhood hero of his, for the first time. The Hall of Fame linebacker, who had a 13-year career with the Chicago Bears, even signed an Urlacher jersey that Kittle had since he was a kid.
Nick Mullens was a big part of getting Kittle to the Pro Bowl. The 49ers' second-year quarterback helped Kittle set a new NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end.
"He was completely prepared for every single game," Kittle said. "We didn't have to worry about him at all. He wasn't the weak link in the chain. He was a big part of it, and he did absolutely everything we wanted him to do and more. That's just a testament to him because he's so prepared."
Despite Mullens' impressive play down the stretch, Kittle is looking forward to getting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo back this offseason.
"I don't know if he's doing OTAs yet, but I'm just looking forward to being able to catch the ball from him because, I don't know if you guys know this, he throws a really pretty pass," Kittle said. "It's one of those balls that you pluck it out of the air. You don't have to go up. It's just natural to catch."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Kittle below.
The plan is still to have Garoppolo throwing passes and doing non-contact work when the 49ers get together for organized team activities in late-May, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
"It's always a little bit better when you're dealing with a quarterback and stuff as opposed to other positions just because you can get him in, hopefully, in 7-on-7 drills a little bit early and things like that, which help those guys get involved a lot faster,"
Shanahan told reporters in October.
"We're hopeful he's going to get to take part in our OTAs,"
Lynch told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network last week. "That's the plan, and he hasn't had any setbacks, so he's doing really well."
According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate.
"According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price."
While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft
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
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
