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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle believes gis position is finally closing the pay gap with the rest of the league, even if there's still work to do.
Appearing on the "New Heights" podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Kittle said tight ends are gradually earning more recognition as offenses around the NFL lean on multiple-tight-end sets, pointing to teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams as examples.
Kittle argued the bigger issue is with blocking-first tight ends who don't rack up catches but are just as valuable, singling out 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk as an example of a player who does the "dirty work" without getting paid like it. Kittle called Juszczyk the offense's "fixer," someone who cleans up busted assignments on the fly.
Kittle went further, arguing that role players deserve a bigger payday relative to receivers who put up modest numbers.
He pointed to Charlie Kolar's contract with the Los Angeles Chargers as a sign the market is shifting toward valuing blocking tight ends. Kolar, who has just 30 career receptions in four seasons, signed a three-year contract worth $24.3 million with $17.0 million guaranteed. That's a big contract for someone who mostly blocks.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts just earned a three-year, $54 million contract extension this offseason. The current leaders in pay are Kittle himself, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $76.4 million, and Trey McBride, who signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.
The next wave of tight end contracts will be interesting, with players like Brock Bowers, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland eyeing big deals in the coming years.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: George Kittle says tight ends deserve more respect and higher salaries
Continue reading...
Appearing on the "New Heights" podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Kittle said tight ends are gradually earning more recognition as offenses around the NFL lean on multiple-tight-end sets, pointing to teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams as examples.
Kittle argued the bigger issue is with blocking-first tight ends who don't rack up catches but are just as valuable, singling out 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk as an example of a player who does the "dirty work" without getting paid like it. Kittle called Juszczyk the offense's "fixer," someone who cleans up busted assignments on the fly.
Kittle went further, arguing that role players deserve a bigger payday relative to receivers who put up modest numbers.
He pointed to Charlie Kolar's contract with the Los Angeles Chargers as a sign the market is shifting toward valuing blocking tight ends. Kolar, who has just 30 career receptions in four seasons, signed a three-year contract worth $24.3 million with $17.0 million guaranteed. That's a big contract for someone who mostly blocks.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts just earned a three-year, $54 million contract extension this offseason. The current leaders in pay are Kittle himself, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $76.4 million, and Trey McBride, who signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.
The next wave of tight end contracts will be interesting, with players like Brock Bowers, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland eyeing big deals in the coming years.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: George Kittle says tight ends deserve more respect and higher salaries
Continue reading...
