The 49ers have agreed to a four-year extension with TE George Kittle. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that it carries a total value of $76.4 million, with $40 million of that guaranteed. It makes Kittle the league's highest-paid TE in annual average salary. Kittle has spent eight seasons with the Niners and will turn 32 in October.
This deal doesn't change anything for the coming season. Kittle has long been established as San Francisco's lead TE, and the team doesn't even appear to have a potential heir behind him on the depth chart.
Some expected the team to draft a future option at the position this year -- from a class with some enticing options up top -- but the Niners didn't select a single TE among its 11 turns.
That not only leaves Kittle as the clear No. 1 TE. He could lead the team in targets.
WR Deebo Samuel has gone to Washington. WR Brandon Aiyuk's coming off an ACL tear. WR Jauan Jennings led last year's squad in targets, including beating Kittle in targets per game. But that also doubled Jennings' previous high for targets in a season.
Whether Kittle leads 49ers targets or not, he's clearly a top-level fantasy option at the position. He sits a clear third in our TE rankings, closer to No. 2 Trey McBride in 3D Value than to No. 4 Sam LaPorta.
This extension might enhance a "sell" window for Kittle in dynasty.
Dumping him isn't a "must," especially coming off the second most fantasy points of his career. But Kittle's bound to decline at some point -- and likely soon.
Our aging-curve research found that no TE archetype has averaged better than 80% of peak fantasy scoring in its age-32 season. That obviously doesn't mean that every guy in the group falls off significantly in that campaign. And even 80% of peak Kittle would be better than most fantasy TEs.
But the length of this extension could foster unrealistic expectations for dynasty managers over the next few seasons. Consider running a price check at least.
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