Kittle was also selected to and played in his first Pro Bowl, and was named a second-team All-Pro.
Now that Rob Gronkowski is retired, is Kittle the best active tight end in the NFL? 49ers general manager John Lynch was asked that question during a Friday-morning interview on KNBR, and his answer wasn't necessarily clear.
"I believe so," Lynch said on the "Murph and Mac" show.
That would be a "yes," right? Not so fast.
"But I'm also a big believer, to have those titles, you have to kind of lay it down, the kind of year George did, for a number of years," Lynch continued. "So I think I'll reserve judgment. I have strong feelings on the way he played and the way I feel he is going to (play)."
Ok, so that would be a "maybe," right? Not so fast.
"So will kind of say, 'No,' for now, but I believe he certainly has that in him," Lynch added. "If he puts up another season like last year, I think we can start talking about titles like that."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.