Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled 50 league executives, coaches, scouts, and players, asking them to
identify the NFL's best tight end. The result, as far as the top choice, probably won't come as a surprise to San Francisco 49ers fans.
It's
George Kittle.
But that doesn't mean the top spot was absent of debate.
"Voters gave their best 10 to 15 players at a position," explained Fowler, "then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average, interviews and research. We had several ties, so we broke them by isolating the two-man matchup with additional voting and follow-up calls."
ESPN is making a series out of this process, identifying the top tight ends first. And no position garnered more debate among voters for the top spot than this one, according to Fowler. That's because you can make a case for two tight ends playing today in Kittle and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
"Off-road SUV or corner-bending coupe," notes Fowler. "Equal greatness."
While some voters prioritized pass-catching ability and the ability to create mismatches, giving the edge to Kelce, others looked at Kittle's complete body of work, including pass-catching and blocking, which makes him an every-down impact player.
The two tight ends nearly had to share the top spot, but in the end, Kittle had a slight edge.
"Consecutive 1,000-yard seasons make Kittle a top contender," wrote Fowler, "but his blocking and intensity helped earn him nearly half the first-place votes. Where Kittle beats everyone is at the line of scrimmage and with the ball in his hands, as he forced a league-high 20 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus."
Said one NFC coordinator of Kittle: "Be on the field, and see how he elevates the play of everyone in the offense. It's tangible. He lifts everyone up."
An AFC executive called Kittle more competitive than Kelce, while another executive said the 49ers tight end amounts to an additional offensive lineman for a top rushing attack. That, when you add Kittle's ability as a receiver, makes him unique among tight ends.
One NFL quarterback noted that Andy Reid's offense creates more opportunities for Kelce whereas Shanahan's 49ers passed the ball 478 times in 2019, the fourth-lowest total in the NFL.
"Even in Shanahan's run-dominant set, Kittle has produced 56 catches of 15 or more yards since 2018," adds Fowler.
The NFL has reportedly penalized the San Francisco 49ers for payroll accounting errors. The team is losing a fifth-round draft pick in 2025 and having its fourth-round pick in 2024 moved to the end of the round as punishment.
Just in: The #49ers are losing a 2025 5th-round pick and will have their 2024 4th-round pick (#131) move to the end of the fourth round because of payroll accounting errors. pic.twitter.com/X8D33mY94A— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate)
ESPN's Field Yates reports that the San Francisco 49ers have restructured the contract of tight end George Kittle, creating close to $10 million of additional 2024 salary cap space.
The Browns restructured the contract of newly-acquired WR Jerry Jeudy to create north of $10M in 2024 cap space.The 49ers restructured the contract of TE George Kittle, also creating close to $10M in 2024 cap space.— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 15,
Jon Feliciano is having a great Friday. The offensive lineman is re-signing with the San Francisco 49ers, returning to the team for a second season. He also received some bonus happy news: he won't have to block Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald anymore.
Donald announced his retirement on Friday. His next NFL stop will be in Canton as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Cheers to what's next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last 10 years. Much love.
NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reports that, according to the player's agent, the San Francisco 49ers are signing safety and special teams contributor George Odum to a two-year, $10 million extension that could reach $10.8 million. Initially signed through the 2024 season, this extension will keep him under contract through 2026.
The #49ers and special teams ace George Odum have agreed to a two-year extension worth up to $10 million, per his agent Matt Glose. The deal puts Odum at the top of the core special teams market.