San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle remains among the NFL's elite at his position, but he slipped one spot in ESPN's annual rankings heading into the 2026 season.
After ranking No. 2 last year—and earning the top spot in 2022—Kittle landed at No. 3 in ESPN's latest tight end rankings.
ESPN's annual NFL position rankings, compiled by Jeremy Fowler, are based on feedback from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts and reflect the league's top players entering the 2026 season rather than their career accomplishments.
It's worth noting that Kittle is coming off an Achilles injury, which influenced his placement.
The veteran tight end also battled a hamstring injury early last season, which sidelined him for multiple games. Despite the setbacks, Kittle finished with 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games.
"Injury, not age, is the thing holding Kittle back," Fowler wrote. "He remained dominant at age 32, with 57.1 yards per game (second among tight ends), seven touchdowns and 2.39 yards per route run. San Francisco posted a 138.4 passer rating when targeting Kittle, whose 82.6% catch rate was stellar."
Ranked ahead of Kittle were Las Vegas Raiders star Brock Bowers at No. 1 and Arizona Cardinals standout Trey McBride at No. 2.
"Injuries and durability are becoming a concern, but when he's healthy, he's still the most versatile, dominant, complete tight end," an NFC executive told Fowler. "He's still the gold standard for blocking, running and catching."
Although Kittle continues to recover from the Achilles injury, his rehabilitation has been encouraging. The 49ers tight end aims to be ready for Week 1, when San Francisco opens the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia.
Fowler added, "Kittle is one of three players with six-plus receiving touchdowns in each of his past five seasons, joining Ja'Marr Chase and Davante Adams."
ESPN's tight end ranking:
- Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
- Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
- George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
- Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
- Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
- Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
- Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
- Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons
- Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
- Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
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