George Kittle isn’t just wealthy now beyond his dreams, he’s also been set free. Becoming the highest-paid tight end in NFL history can do that for a guy.
Of course, Kittle isn’t just any other guy. He’s the best, most complete, tight end in the NFL. And he rounds out his power, skill, production and talent on the field with a flamboyant and irrepressible style that — combined with his infectious personality — truly makes Kittle one of a kind.
So you can believe Kittle when he says the much-anticipated blockbuster contract extension he signed with the 49ers on Aug. 14 — just before the team was about to take the field to begin full-squad training camp practices — wasn’t just about the money.
“Now I can go on the football field and not have any worries about anything,” Kittle said. “I can just go out there and play football and run through someone’s face. And I’m really excited about that.”
That’s the kind of all-out energy and aggressive demeanor that gets everybody excited about Kittle, who plays with the kind of reckless abandon that’s both fun and painful to watch.
After all, Kittle’s the same guy that broke a bone in his leg on San Francisco’s first offensive play during a Halloween Night game at Arizona last season and yet still played on, eventually catching a touchdown pass 12 minutes later to tie the game.
Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Niner Report.
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Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Niner Report.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EIGHT IS ENOUGH
Set 49ers lineup still has several new starters
Calling all cornerbacks
Loss of Verrett exposes 49ers’ thin depth at CB
Always finding their way to run
49ers system accomplished at developing homegrown talent
ANOTHER COMEBACK?
Resilient veteran Verrett to miss rest of season
TOP 10 Rookie running backs
THE BACK LIST
STOCK UP STOCK DOWN
DEOMMODORE LENOIR | AMBRY THOMAS
Will Mostert run for 49ers again?
Raheem Mostert was primed this year to be the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, featured as the lead performer in San Francisco’s grinding rushing attack while making his climb among the league’s top running backs.
THE WONDER OF WARNER
49ers make All-Pro star highest-paid LB in NFL
Making the right choice at QB
In the weeks that follow after you read this — and perhaps sometime even sooner than that — Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers organization will make a titanic decision that will have present, future and perhaps even everlasting implications for the franchise. It will chart the course for the team’s pivotal 2021 season while determining whether San Francisco really does have the juice to return to powerhouse status and again be considered a legitimate contender to get back to the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 Linebacker seasons
Fred Warner vaulted to stardom with a spectacular 2020 season — and the 49ers rewarded him this summer with a $95.225 million deal that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history. By today’s standards, Warner’s performance last year was worth the money as he posted an Approximate Value of 19 — matching the highest score ever recorded by a San Francisco defender according to a Pro Football Reference formula that puts a single number on each player-season across all positions since 1960. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman (twice) also had seasons with an AV of 19 as they dominate this list of the greatest individual seasons by a linebacker in 49ers history.
