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George Kittle Makes Feelings Clear About NFL Career Earnings After $76 Million Contract

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 5:33 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle caught 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns last season to become the highest-paid tight end.

Kittle, 31, played eight seasons with the 49ers from 2017-24 and made significant strides throughout his career after being drafted out of Iowa. He surprised the league in his second season by racking up 1,377 yards and five touchdowns.

Kittle’s pass-catching ability drastically improved throughout his career, helping San Francisco make two Super Bowl appearances in 2020 and 2024. Although the 49ers came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs both times, he was given a lucrative four-year $76.4 million deal in April, which includes a $19.1 million average annual value.

The 49ers made the offer to keep Kittle in San Francisco for at least another couple of seasons as they want to compete for a Super Bowl title against some of their NFC West division rivals. Furthermore, the Pro Bowl tight end has amassed approximately $62.5 million in total career earnings, according to an NFL.com report.

Even though he’s brought in so much money with his talent, Kittle thinks he hasn’t changed much from once being a young athlete. “I remember being a kid playing pee-wee football and popcorn football in a small town in Iowa with pads that are way too big and running around smiling,” he said during a recent episode of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast.

“Now I’m playing in the NFL getting paid a [expletive] ton of money,” Kittle added. “Still smiling and laughing.”

As Kittle continues to be himself as one of the league’s premier tight ends, he’s been gearing up for this upcoming season with the 49ers, which starts on Sept. 7 against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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