The San Francisco 49ers have a vital need to keep George Kittle happy, and it sounds like there’s a bit of a problem with that right now.
According to Mike Silver of NFL Network, there is a “significant disconnect” in contract talks between the 49ers and Kittle’s camp. While the Niners are willing to reset the tight end market for Kittle, the player’s camp views him as more than simply a tight end and wants to see him paid accordingly.
There's a disconnect between @gkittle46 and the @49ers and if that doesn't change soon, I wonder whether he might consider an extreme measure. @nflnetwork @wyche89 pic.twitter.com/pjuWn2mvZC
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) July 31, 2020
Silver even wonders if Kittle would consider opting out of the NFL season if the 49ers do not give him what he wants, though that is more speculative than anything else.
As it stands, Kittle would play the 2020 season on a $2.1 million salary. That’s nowhere near fair market value for a player with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons who can dominate a game like few others can.
Cleveland’s Austin Hooper is currently the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, and is due to make $11.5 million this year. The 49ers are clearly willing to beat that for Kittle, but he has a different position in mind in terms of setting his market value that would get him paid much more.
