George Kittle reported to 49ers training camp on time and without complaint, despite a desire to sign a massive contract extension. His reasoning was simple: Leaders put the team first.
Endurance does not. It’s inherently selfish, even if it’s the rare way a player can win a little tax in an NFL ecosystem where teams have all the Trump cards.
It also maintains health in a violent game, where even a practice injury can end a career. If a player attacks something catastrophic before signing an extension, he gets nothing. That’s a big risk, one it’s unclear whether Kittle would have taken when the 49ers first fully practiced on Saturday.
That’s now a point that Kittle has agreed on terms of a contract extension, except to illustrate that even soft deadlines spurn deals. While the negotiation may be complicated by the pandemic and its position, all is well that ends well.
That is us now, with smiles all around. Therefore, there is no need to declare a winner in this deal.
The 49ers reward an invaluable player who is as important as any non-quarterback for what they do. Kittle is really happy and comfortable and feels valued and fully focused on football. His teammates first saw that hard work and talent is rewarded.
Kittle was rewarded in a big way. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reported, per Kittle’s agent, that the five-year deal is worth up to $ 75 million, with an $ 18 million sign-up bonus, $ 30 million guaranteed upon signing and $ 40 million in general guarantees.
[49ERS INSIDER PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]That deal gives the tight end market the hard reset it deserves, and has been sending stagnant waters today since Jimmy Graham signed a major contract in 2014.
While the elite is tight end money, 11 receivers receive even more than Kittle’s average of $ 15 million per season. That’s Jarvis Landry’s money. It’s less than the cost of Adam Theilen.
Wrap your brain around it.
Through that lens, it’s an absolute steal for the 49ers and exposes an important fact about the appreciation of NFL players: Positional markets are stupid.
Kittle’s monetary value hurt because there’s a ‘TE’ next to his name on the flipchart. Elite centers and safetys and linebackers suffer from the same evil. They are boxed into position, setting a ceiling on their value.
That is, in a word, dumb.
[RELATED: George Kittle, 49ers get to only reasonable destination with extension]There should be exceptions to every rule, especially the logical one, and Kittle is certainly one.
He is not a tight end as a receiver. He is a unicorn, an ideal player and presence in the locker room and easily the most influential non-quarterback on the 49ers roster.
The tight-lipped financial constraints do not apply to defensive approaches, which made the difficult choice to make DeForest Buckner a little easier. They got a first round to use on a cheaper replacement, and took Javon Kinlaw on a rookie deal to pay Buckner the average annual salary of $ 21 million that Indianapolis gave him.
That also gave some flexibility to get this Kittle deal, knowing full well that the 49ers have some tough decisions to make with young talent that deserves big raises in the very near future.
Kittle had to be done, and the 49ers were smart to avoid the inconvenience that comes with playing hardball. They garner no guarantees. There were no threats of a franchise tag in the future. No missed practices came into play.
They equalized by a player essentially for the 49ers who pulled a Lombardi Trophy through this currently open championship window. The market-return deal also gave tight ends a little more respect – it’s no coincidence Travis Kelce got extended Thursday as well – after years of underpaid.
Therefore, there is no need to declare a winner in this deal. It’s a rare win-win.
