Jeremiah says George Kittle will ‘destroy’ the tight end market, has leverage in 49ers contract talks

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah raised some eyebrows earlier this month after saying he expects San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle to receive a contract closer to $20 million annually. That would be nearly double the average salary of the next-highest paid tight end.

There is no doubt that Kittle will completely reset the tight end market, and deservedly so. He is, by far, the best player at his position when looking at everything that he does. Not only is Kittle a dangerous receiving threat, but he is also an accomplished blocker.

Jeremiah joined 95.7 The Game on Friday morning and explained why he believes Kittle will completely shatter the tight end market, and why finalizing a long-term deal has been so complicated. It's not merely a matter of looking at the highest-paid tight end and topping that number.

"I think he's going to destroy the tight end market," Jeremiah said on the Joe, Lo and Dibs show. "I think you throw that out the window. Forget those numbers. I mean, Austin Hooper is the highest-paid tight end in the NFL right now, and that's not the number they're going to work off of because he just doesn't fall into that category.

"I know some people were shocked, and I said, look, between 15 and 20 million (dollars), I would guess it ends up closer to 20. Probably 18 million range because if you look at the two numbers -- look at the offensive linemen numbers, I think that's 16 to 18 for the top guys. You look at the top receivers; they are 18 to 22.

"George is kind of like the unicorn, who's a mixture of both those positions, and the numbers with him and without him are pretty startling. I got some pushback because I said I think he's the most valuable Forty Niner. ... You've got the depth on the defensive line. If you pull one of those guys out, you're still going to be OK. Although, they are great players, particularly with Nick (Bosa). But there's nobody else in the league like George Kittle. He's one-of-one."

In 2018, Kittle set a new NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377 yards. He followed that up last season with another 1,000-plus-yard campaign, his second straight Pro Bowl selection, and a first-team All-Pro nod.

Kittle's 2,945 total receiving yards are the most by a tight end during the player's first three seasons, surpassing the 2,774-yard mark set by Mike Ditka from 1961 through 1963. His 95.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season was the highest ever by a tight end during the analytics site's existence.

"He dictates everything," Jeremiah continued. "You can't be right on defense when he's on the field, no matter how you try to match up with the run game or the pass game, you're wrong. He just changes the match. That's what makes him such a unique player."

Jeremiah goes on to say that Kittle isn't just a team asset on the football field. He is one off the field, too. The tight end is a high-character player who sets an example for others.

Jeremiah added: "It's hard to have leverage with the new CBA, but I think George Kittle does have leverage here."