49ers’ George Kittle contract extension has 3 potential pitfalls

The San Francisco 49ers and George Kittle are officially sticking together.

Kittle agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension on Tuesday to make himself the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.

There would've been a lot of backlash from 49ers fans if San Francisco didn't keep Kittle, so in that sense, it's a welcome deal.

But there are three ways this deal goes bad. Here, we break them down:

MORE: How Brock Purdy's extension is impacted by George Kittle deal

George Kittle's age

George Kittle will turn 32 years old in October.

There haven't been many signs of a decline yet, but even the great ones slow down eventually.

It'd feel a little safer if the 49ers gave a 29-year old tight end this deal, but they of course didn't have that choice.

Kittle likely will be his usual self early in this deal, but whether he maintains his production through the final years is less certain.

George Kittle injuries

For a physical, block-happy tight end who loves running after the catch, Kittle has remained remarkably healthy during his NFL career.

Maybe that says he's just super durable and this won't be an issue.

But going with the age, there's a chance Kittle's body starts to break down. If that happens, it'll be a lot of money for someone who can't stay on the field. But it's definitely only an 'if' at this point.

Brock Purdy timeline

Here's the big one.

The 49ers are surely going to extend Brock Purdy for big money very shortly. 

Right now, Kittle aligns with Purdy's contention timeline. But Purdy will be around San Francisco longer than Kittle.

If either age or injuries knock Kittle back, the 49ers will be paying him a lot of money to not contribute to their franchise quarterback's peak years.

Maybe it all goes perfectly and they win a Super Bowl in the next few seasons.

But there's also a path where San Francisco's hands are tied in making other moves, squandering valuable Purdy time.

MORE NFL NEWS:

• Deion Sanders' surprise role in Shedeur's draft slide revealed
• Idea of Browns cutting Shedeur Sanders makes no sense
• Deion Sanders fired by son after Shedeur's draft slide
• Full details of Shedeur Sanders prank call revealed
• Shedeur Sanders will start when he's ready and could rescue Browns QB woes
• Why Shilo Sanders, Buccaneers make sense together
• Why Giants 'need' to let Jaxson Dart start
• Sean Taylor's legacy lives on in Washington with new signing
• Giants' Daniel Jones mistake emphasized by Colts' Riley Leonard draft pick
• Travis Hunter could play 3 positions as a rookie
• Buccaneers' plan for Shilo Sanders revealed
• Buccaneers can play 464-pound, 350-pound linemen together
• Cowboys' Trevon Diggs is in trouble with contract
• Shedeur Sanders blamed for $50 million mistake
• The reason the Giants rejected Shedeur Sanders