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San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle may not be on a record-breaking pace like he was last year, but he is still on pace to rack up over 1,000 receiving yards this season. A few more games like Sunday's against the Los Angeles Rams, during which he had eight receptions for 103 yards, and maybe we can start thinking about records again.
By the way, Kittle put on a show in Los Angeles while dealing with a groin injury. He was listed as "questionable" on the team's official injury report but never doubted that he would play.
"Like I said, this is a game I've had on my calendar for a year," Kittle said after the win. "I haven't liked the way we played against them the last two years, and this is a dub that we needed to get."
Kittle also told reporters that the yards after the catch are his favorite thing about his job.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo spoke with reporters on Wednesday and was asked what makes Kittle so special.
"I think he's good at it because of his mindset, and his athletic ability, obviously," Garoppolo said. "He's just got a mindset that if one guy is in front of him, he's already looking to the next guy, to make him miss, and what he's going to do in that situation. [...] As a tight end, he's got to love that stuff. Just get him the ball in space and let him go be special."
Kittle isn't the only offensive weapon with that mentality.
"I think all of our guys, though, have the right mindset," Garoppolo continued. "They don't want to run out of bounds. They want to get those extra couple of yards."
Garoppolo was asked if he views Kittle as the best tight end in football right now.
"I do, yeah," he responded. "He just does so much for our offense. In the run game, pass game, even if he's a distraction on a play, he's willing to do whatever you ask him to. For a guy of that talent to do that, it's impressive."
The 49ers made Kittle, who is in his third NFL season, a fifth-round draft pick out of Iowa in 2017. He has 31 receptions for 338 yards with a touchdown through five games this season.
Kittle set a new NFL single-season record last year for the most receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377 yards, which earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
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
