George Kittle's passion for football is undeniable, and the San Francisco 49ers' tight end seems determined to keep playing until he physically can't anymore. While he played 16 games last season, Kittle has been no stranger to injuries over his career. Much of that can be attributed to his physical playing style and desire to contribute to the run game with his aggressive blocking.
Kittle is entering his eighth NFL season and turned 30 in October. San Francisco has long sought to provide some depth at the position to alleviate the workload on their All-Pro player but has yet to be successful. Kittle played 895 offensive snaps during his 2023 campaign, a significant margin ahead of the next 49ers tight end, Charlie Woerner, who tallied 312 snaps before signing a free-agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
"They got to start making some plans, perhaps for life after George Kittle," Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area recently shared on the "49ers Talk" podcast. "I know that's kind of odd to say because it seems like he's just so young, and he just, not too long ago, broke into the NFL. But he is 30 years old."
The 49ers attempted to bring in Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright, offering a three-year, $12 million deal to the restricted free agent. However, the Lions matched the offer, keeping him in Detroit.
Regarding the attempt to add Wright, Maiocco stated, "It's a clear indication that they're looking to beef that up."
The reporter notes that San Francisco sought help for Kittle last year by drafting Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis. However, Latu spent the season on injured reserve, and Willis played only 48 snaps.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently noted that the 49ers anticipated a steep learning curve for Latu, and the recent attempt to acquire Wright might suggest the team is skeptical that the second-year player can develop into a significant contributor in 2024.
Unable to bolster the tight end group in free agency, the 49ers will likely turn to the upcoming draft. The team has reportedly expressed interest in Erick All of Iowa, Ja'Tavion Sanders of Texas, Mason Pline of Furman, Isaac Rex of BYU, Jaheim Bell of Florida State, Theo Johnson of Penn State, and Jared Wiley of TCU at various stages of the pre-draft evaluation process.
For a comprehensive overview of all reported formal and informal meetings between the 49ers and prospective NFL rookies, visit our pre-draft tracker.
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