7 NFL players who will sign the next massive contract extensions

4. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Unless there’s an incredibly unique talent in the draft, tight end typically isn’t one of the higher-valued positions when it comes to selecting college players into the league. And coming out of Iowa, George Kittle didn’t appear to be that type of player. Thus, he slipped to the fifth round before the San Francisco 49ers nabbed him back in 2017.

Since coming into the NFL, however, Kittle has proven to be more than special. He’s gone from talented late-round pick with upside to already becoming arguably the best tight end in the league in just three seasons. Now that he’s set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, though, the Niners are going to have to pay him as such.

Playing in 30 regular-season games over the past two years, including helping to guide the way to the Super Bowl last season, Kittle has 173 catches (on 243 targets) with 2,430 yards and 10 touchdowns. More than just his receiving ability, though, he’s among the best run-blocking tight ends in the league as well.

The combination of receiving ability, specifically his run-after-catch talents, and blocking prowess is rare in the NFL. Even guys like Travis Kelce don’t have the combination in the way that Kittle does. While San Francisco will have to do some maneuvering to get a deal done, it would be foolish for the 49ers to let Kittle play anywhere but the Bay Area.