49ers turned down 2nd-round pick for George Kittle before extension

Before the 2025 NFL Draft, The Athletic's Dianna Russini suggested that NFL teams might explore trading for San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle amid ongoing contract negotiations between the player and the team. Those talks concluded this week, with the 49ers locking up the All-Pro on a four-year, $76.4 million extension.

On her podcast, Scoop City, Russini revealed that there was indeed trade interest in Kittle. According to her, one team offered the 49ers a second-round draft pick in exchange for the star tight end.

She noted that just last week, the two sides were still far apart in negotiations, leaving Kittle's future uncertain.

"Once that got out there, teams started poking around on it," Russini said. "And I know there was a team that had a conversation with the 49ers the night before the draft about a possible trade for Kittle—a second-rounder they were looking to get in return.

"So yeah, they turned it down. The 49ers decided to keep him and really move this situation forward by getting a deal done. But there was a little interest there, some poking around."

When co-host Chase Daniel questioned why San Francisco didn't take the offer, calling it "a really good return on investment," Russini emphasized that the 49ers had no desire to part with their longtime offensive cornerstone.

In the end, both sides got what they wanted, with hopes that Kittle will finish his NFL career in the Bay Area.