Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported before the Super Bowl that the San Francisco 49ers would like to lock up George Kittle for the foreseeable future sooner rather than later. The All-Pro tight end is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will earn $725,000 during the upcoming season.
He'll make a lot more after that.
Ian Rapoport discussed the potential deal on Thursday and stated that it's a very difficult one to accomplish because the tight end market hasn't moved much in recent years. Kittle's upcoming contract could change that.
Jimmy Graham of the Green Bay Packers is currently the NFL's highest-paid tight end, earning $10 million per year.
"Whatever Kittle gets is going to be a lot more," Rapoport said on NFL Network. "But yes, this is a priority for the 49ers, and they have done such a good job over the last couple of years getting in front of these, knowing what the market is going to be, hammering these out early.
"And in the end, both sides can actually benefit because the player gets the high-end salary that he wants, and the team gets to lock him in early before free agency makes these numbers go crazy."
Tom Pelissero adds why Kittle's new deal could be worth so much more than Graham's.
"Jimmy Graham was 31 years old when he signed that deal for $10 million per year with the Packers," Pelissero noted. "George Kittle is still only 26, and he can make the argument really that he is the No. 1 wide receiver — not just tight end — but wide receiver at that position."
Another tight end, Austin Hooper of the Atlanta Falcons, is scheduled to become a free agent in March. The 49ers may want to get Kittle's deal done before Hooper potentially inflates the market.
"If teams are looking at this with the new CBA coming, a new TV deal coming, the salary cap is only going to go up," Pelissero adds.