San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle texted his teammate, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, to congratulate him on his four-year, $120 million contract extension. Kittle isn't too bothered that he hasn't heard back yet, understanding that his message probably got lost in the flood of well-wishes on Aiyuk's phone.
"He kind of had a life-changing moment, so we're all excited for him," Kittle told Kay Adams on the "Up & Adams" show.
Like everyone else, Kittle learned the news on X (formerly Twitter). He's likely relieved he won't have to field any more questions about the offseason drama between Aiyuk and the 49ers.
"I'm just happy that it's over, and I get Brandon Aiyuk back on the football field, and I get to see his smiling face every single day in the locker room," Kittle said. "That's what I'm looking forward to because he's such a good dude. I'm looking forward to just starting this journey again with him.
"So let's get it, let's get him out there catching football passes for Mr. [Brock] Purdy."
Kittle is coming off an impressive 2023 campaign with 1,020 receiving yards and six touchdowns. However, it was Aiyuk who led the team in receiving, racking up 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. With both players back on the field, and other playmakers like Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, the 49ers' offense gets a significant boost for their Super Bowl run.
Despite having gone through his own contract negotiations four years ago, Kittle wasn't always confident that things would work out smoothly with Aiyuk.
"There was definitely a little bit of worry once in a while," Kittle admitted. "There's days I'd see B.A. in the locker room and stuff for like a week, and then I wouldn't see him for four days. I'm like, 'Oh, that's not very fun.'
So that's when the worry [arrives]. That's when my spider senses were tingling. But, fortunately, none of those worries [became a reality], so now, I'm just happy."
