Tight end George Kittle led the San Francisco 49ers last season with 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, marking his fourth career 1,000-yard season. Now, one former teammate, Richard Sherman, believes Kittle's role in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense could see a boost following a recent trade agreement.
This past weekend, the 49ers agreed to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. While Samuel's production has tapered off in recent years, his presence still demands attention from opposing defenses, and Shanahan was often tasked with finding new ways to involve the versatile wideout in the game plan.
With Samuel gone, Kittle and other playmakers could see more opportunities in the 2025 season—provided the team stays healthy.
"I think it goes back to, sometimes, you have too many mouths to feed, and you don't have enough footballs," Sherman said on his podcast. "There's only one football, and you're trying to feed [RB] Christian McCaffrey, Kittle, [WR Brandon] Aiyuk, you're trying to get it to Deebo, and now, you've got this draft pick in [WR Ricky] Pearsall. And you're trying to make sure you keep everybody happy, and it's very difficult to do.
"And I think this kind of simplifies things. I think it gets Kittle more involved in the offense, and I think, at times, they had to rely on him, and he, obviously, has been fantastic and one of the best tight ends in the game. And I think, down the stretch, Kyle Shanahan realized that, hey, we're not using George Kittle enough. We need to find a way to get him the ball."
Sherman also highlighted that the 49ers still have plenty of offensive firepower. He's hopeful that wide receiver Jauan Jennings can continue to contribute significantly, especially after stepping up last season when Aiyuk was injured. Most saw it as an opportunity for Samuel to shine. Instead, Jennings had a career year, finishing with 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns.
"I think this is sometimes addition by subtraction, just kind of simplifying," Sherman concluded. "Hey, I don't have to give the ball to all these guys anymore. I can just run the offense more straightforward."
