49ers' George Kittle ranked by NFL as 3rd-best TE with one thing holding him back

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49ers' George Kittle ranked by NFL as 3rd-best TE with one thing holding him back originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The San Francisco 49ers have a great roster, and there are a few players who would rank very highly on top-10 lists going position by position.

Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa already ranked inside the top-10 in a poll of NFL scouts, executives, and coaches shared by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. George Kittle also ranked fairly highly on that ranking.

Kittle was ranked as the third-best tight end in the NFL in this poll, but Fowler and one NFC executive revealed the one thing holding Kittle back from being even higher on this list: Injuries.

George Kittle held back from a top-2 TE ranking due to injuries​

"Injury, not age, is the thing holding Kittle back," Fowler writes. "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."

The 49ers tight end is one of the best in the NFL, but, as one NFC executive said, "Injuries and durability are becoming a concern, but when he's healthy, he's still the most versatile, dominant, complete tight end."

Kittle is 32 years old, and will turn 33 on October 9. The seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro tight end has been one of the best in the league for some time now.

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The only issue recently is that he's struggled to stay healthy. He played in 11 games this past season, missing time at the beginning of the year, a game at the end, and then much of the playoffs after an Achilles tear during the NFC Wild Card round.

But, even in a limited time, he proved he's still one of the best tight ends in the NFL. If he can just stay healthy during the 2026 season, he could easily climb up to the top ranking in the league, or at the very least, back to No. 2 like he was last year.

Kittle is a fantastic tight end and is well deserving of this No. 3 ranking, even after a down year, thanks in large part to injury.

If injuries weren't a concern, he might rank as the top tight end in the NFL, even over Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.

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