Less blocking for Kittle?

The Athletic's Matt Barrows believes the 49ers are looking for TE George Kittle to block less and be in pass routes more in 2022. "They want to free him to be a pass catcher more often and they want to keep him healthier/fresher than he’s been the last two seasons," Barrows writes, pointing to the addition of TE Tyler Kroft as a key to the plan. "Kittle certainly will have a sizeable blocking role, but with Kroft in the fold that role might not be as consuming as it was last season," says Barrows. More pass-catching work would obviously be good news for Kittle, who remains 1 of the league's most efficient TEs on a per-route basis.