Former Iowa star tight end George Kittle continues to make headlines this offseason. A known World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superfan, Kittle was recently spotted chugging a beer in the stands at WrestleMania 41. However, it is where he is not that is drawing more speculation.
In 2021, Kittle signed a five-year, 95 million-dollar contract extension and is entering the last year of that contract. Mike Silver of The Athletic notes that the 49ers and Kittle are "far apart" in their contract negotiations, and have not engaged in substantive talks regarding an extension.
On Tuesday, Kittle was noticeably absent from the first day of the 49ers' voluntary off-season workouts.
49ers Pro Bowl TE George Kittle, who has been in discussions about a new deal, is not in at San Francisco’s voluntary off-season workout program that starts today. pic.twitter.com/ncWAKR0Q6K
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 22, 2025
Kittle has not been shy about wanting a contract extension, and skipped the first day of voluntary workouts.
After being absent on day one, a report surfaced that he would not attend the workouts due to his ongoing contract negotiations. He took to social media to staunchly refute those claims.
Your source is incorrect
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) April 23, 2025
In a simple, but powerful response, Kittle stated, "Your source is incorrect."
Kittle is adamant that missing the VOLUNTARY off-season workouts has nothing to do with his contract. If it did, could you blame him? Kittle has consistently been one of the top five tight ends in the league throughout his career, and deserves to be paid like it.
After having a solid 2024-2025 season, Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride inked a contract extension for four years and 76 million dollars (19 million per year average). The 19 million per year became the highest ever for a tight end.
Last season, Kittle and McBride had similar statistics, even though Kittle missed multiple games with a hamstring issue. Kittle had 1,106 yards receiving (14.2-yard average) and eight touchdowns on 78 receptions, and McBride had 1,146 yards receiving (10.3-yard average) and two touchdowns on 111 receptions.
Kittle has wanted a contract extension for a while, and the 49ers just missed a window to get inked to a more team-friendly deal. McBride reset the contract market for tight ends, and Kittle's career success dictates that he be paid close to that number.
Kittle is 32 years old and has an injury history, but the 49ers need to pay one of the NFL's top tight ends what he is worth.