Tight End: Greg Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
I’ve tried to avoid picking players who still have two or m ore years left on their contracts, but I simply couldn’t ignore Greg Kittle when considering tight ends set to cash in. The San Francisco 49ers’ sudden superstar will be rolling in green sooner rather than later.
Just look at the damage he did last year (his sophomore season) for evidence of his worthiness to take the crown among tight ends. Kittle put together a record-breaking campaign, running roughshod on defenses, despite catching passes from backup quarterbacks for most of the year. The future looks even brighter with Jimmy Garoppolo back at the helm.
If Kittle puts together another All-Pro effort in 2019, there’s just no way the 49ers can continue to get away with what they’re currently paying him. As it stands, the former fifth-round pick is scheduled to collect only $645,000 in salary this upcoming season. That’s pennies compared to the league’s current highest earner, Jimmy Graham, who’s averaging $10 million per season.
Considering the weapon Kittle has proven himself to be, it seems like a no-brainer to imagine him eclipsing Graham’s figures with his next deal. He may even blow them out of the water if he can put on an encore of his breakout 2018 campaign this upcoming fall.
The sky is the limit for Kittle, both in terms of on-field production and potential earnings.