49ers meet with George Kittle, remain mum on contract talks
Even without a new contract, George Kittle reported to the 49ers’ facility last week and met with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch Monday as full-team work began for the first time ahead of training camp practices later this month.
Neither the head coach nor general manager would spill specifics about where things stood in contract talks with the All-Pro tight end. But they did offer tepid optimism that’s been a theme of their messaging in recent weeks.
“We are working diligently to come to a resolution,” Lynch said in a Zoom news conference Monday, noting he wouldn’t offer a time line on a pending agreement. “I’ve been on record saying what George means to this place.
“I think there’s a great understanding that we’re in this thing together, we’re partners to try to get something done because it makes too much sense not to.”
Kittle, of course, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and would be wildly underpaid on his $2.2 million salary. An issue with talks, however, has been the depressed value of the tight end market.
Austin Hooper with the Browns signed the most lucrative contract in position history (four years, $44 million with $23 million in guarantees) while Hunter Henry with the Chargers is slated to be the top-paid tight end in 2020 on the franchise tag worth about $10.6 million. NFL Network reported last week the two sides remained far apart on an agreement. The league’s top receivers, meanwhile, make $18 to $22 million per season.
Kittle has been unquestionably one of the 49ers’ best and most important players since emerging to stardom after being a lowly fifth-round draft pick in 2017. He has a strong argument to become one of the team’s highest-paid players during an offseason that saw defensive lineman Arik Armstead sign a five-year, $85 million contract after just one season of high-level production.
Kittle has become the NFL’s top tight end and was recently voted the league’s No. 7 overall player by his peers following back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Pro Football Focus graded Kittle as the top overall player in the league in 2019. He’s also a crucial blocker for one of the league’s best rushing attacks, which also factors into Shanahan’s play action-heavy passing scheme.
“I think we don’t have to say important George is to us,” Shanahan said. “Not only as being the best tight end, to me, in the league, but also the type of person he is. So we’re doing everything we can to get that done. I do feel good about it.”
This unique offseason impacted dramatically by the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the team’s financial planning for the coming season and beyond. Fans are not expected to attend games in the fall, which means the NFL could be facing a $4 billion windfall in revenue that would dramatically impact the salary cap for the foreseeable future.
The league and players’ association recently agreed to terms on a deal that would make the 2021 salary floor $175 million, down precipitously from the $215 to $220 million expectation before the pandemic. That shrinks the 49ers’ cap room from some $45 million to under $5 million.
That will force the 49ers to get creative to fit under those constraints by back-loading contracts in a way they usually don’t. The team’s contract negotiator, Paraag Marathe, has been known for front-loading contracts to absorb cap hits when the team had a glut of cap space in recent seasons. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is the most notable example, earning $48.7 million in the first year of his five-year, $137.5 million pact in 2018.
Now that they have a slew of good players on expensive contracts, that philosophy might have to get flipped because of the pandemic.
“Is it going to be a challenge? Absolutely,” Lynch said. “For us, I think, the biggest challenge is, we were set up with a really good roster, but we had set it up such that we were really felt it was sustainable. And I think it’s still sustainable, we’re going to have to get creative, we’re going to have to figure some things out.”
Paying Kittle could mean making tough decisions about other expensive players on the roster such as linebacker Kwon Alexander (who has a $16 million cap hit over the next two seasons), pass rusher Dee Ford (who has no guaranteed money on his deal beyond 2020 after signing for $85 million in 2019) and center Weston Richburg (who is spending his second straight offseason rehabbing from a significant leg injury).
In a related move, the 49ers on Monday agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Washington’s former Pro Bowl tight end, Jordan Reed, who missed all of last season following his seventh known concussion sustained during the preseason.
Reed, 30, has averaged 55 catches and 562 yards over his six NFL seasons. He scored a career-best 11 touchdowns in 2015 and was drafted while Shanahan was his offensive coordinator in 2013. Shanahan mentioned Reed’s play-making on third down as one of his best attributes. Reed has a 73-percent catch rate and has scored 10 of his 24 career touchdowns on third down.
“It’s well documented he’s had multiple concussions prior,” Lynch said. “In situations like this, there’s a reason why Jordan Reed’s out there, right? So there is some risk-reward. We got to a point where we felt the risk that we’re taking on was worth it with the potential reward.”
It’s unknown if Kittle’s uncertain status was the impetus for San Francisco’s interest in Reed. Though the 49ers have been reportedly interested in finding a viable No. 2 tight end option to complement Kittle throughout the offseason.
Said Shanahan, who worked with Reed for one season in Washington: “I know he’s hungry to come in and play football. He hasn’t gotten to do much of that lately. And when you got a talented guy who’s hungry to play football, it works out if they can stay healthy.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 3:21 PM.