Full signing details: 49ers ink star TE George Kittle to record-setting extension

For the second straight offseason, extensions have loomed over the San Francisco 49ers. But in 2025, they hammered one out much earlier.

Last offseason, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams both wound up holding out until late in the preseason. In 2025, the 49ers were optimistic they could avoid similar situations with tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy.

Kittle had recently tweeted, "Your source is incorrect" to a report from The Athletic's Dianna Russini that he was looking for the biggest deal ever for a tight end, and that his absence from 49ers OTAs was contract-related.

Regardless of whether or not the source may have had their finger on the pulse of the situation, though, the first half of Russini's report has now proven prophetic.

On Tuesday, Kittle became the NFL's highest-paid tight end, signing a four-year, $76.4 million extension with $40 million guaranteed. Will Compton and Taylor Lewan of Bussin' with the Boys were the first to break the news via X.

$35 million of the $40 million guaranteed is due at signing, with the other $5 million due in 2027. Kittle's scheduled 2025 salary cap hit of $22.1 million is almost guaranteed to drop significantly.

Kittle, 31, told ESPN in January that he plans to play "until the wheels fall off." That day doesn't seem as though it's coming soon, but four years is an eternity in the NFL, so the 49ers don't need to worry about the possibility of him playing in another uniform for quite some time.

Last season, Kittle racked up 1,106 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns, both of which were the second-highest totals of his career. His 73.4 percent receiving success rate was a new career-high.

The 49ers should be getting a motivated Kittle. Now, they can turn their full attention to the Purdy contract.

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