San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is entering just his fourth season in the NFL, but he is already taking on a veteran role inside the 49ers' locker room.
Here is the thing, though: Kittle has just one year remaining on his contract with the 49ers, and sometimes, players get antsy and perturbed when they do not have a new deal in place. But Kittle will not let that affect his role as a team captain.
“Being a captain, I want to be there for my team and I need to show the right leadership skills,” Kittle said, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Kittle is slated to earn $2.133 million in 2020, which is not exactly a hefty salary for a guy who made his second straight Pro Bowl while also earning a First-Team All-Pro selection last season.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Iowa, was originally selected by San Francisco in the fifth round (146th pick overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He had a solid rookie campaign, playing in 15 games and catching 43 passes for 515 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Kittle then broke out in his second season, hauling in 88 receptions for 1,377 yards and five scores.
The Madison, Wi. native wasn't quite as dominant in 2019, but he was still phenomenal, snaring 85 balls for 1,053 yards while reaching the end zone five times.
The Niners were one of the NFL's biggest surprises this past year, winning 13 games and capturing the NFC West division crown en route to making it all the way to the Super Bowl.
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