George Kittle made his sentiments clear in a recent conversation about his teammate, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The tight end emphasized that he couldn't picture the San Francisco 49ers without Aiyuk and spoke highly of him in a discussion with Fox News Digital's Scott Thompson.
Throughout the offseason, Kittle has had several conversations with Aiyuk and empathizes with his situation. Reflecting on his own contract negotiation in 2020 before reaching an agreement with the 49ers, Kittle offered his best advice to Aiyuk: "Hey, be patient."
Kittle added, "It's just kind of the way the Niners do things. I didn't sign my contract until two-and-a-half weeks into training camp, and that's pretty stressful when you have to go out there and practice while doing a deal. So, I told him, 'Be patient, continue to work on your craft, don't let anything distract you. Just go out and be yourself every single day.' He's in the right state of mind, the right space. I'm not worried about Brandon."
Aiyuk proved his worth this past season, amassing a career-high and team-leading 1,342 receiving yards, along with seven touchdowns. He achieved this with just 75 catches, boasting an impressive average of 17.9 yards per reception.
"Me, on the outside looking in, I don't know how we don't keep Brandon as a 49er for as long as he wants to be one because he's such a talented player," Kittle said. "If you give a guy like that 120 targets, you guys are going to see absolutely crazy things. And he did that with almost no targets this year when you're competing with four or five guys to get the ball. He's a true wide receiver one, and he's going to get what he deserves."
Kittle acknowledges that contract negotiations can be uncomfortable as teams assess your value, which may not always align with your own perceptions, especially when committing so much money to a single player is involved.
This week, general manager John Lynch assured reporters that the 49ers are committed to signing Aiyuk to a long-term deal.
"I've communicated on a couple of occasions, on many occasions, our wish," Lynch stated. "And our wish is that he's here and a part of the Niners for the rest of his career. We're working through that."