San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is entering the final year of his rookie deal in the 2020 NFL season. Regardless, he has long established himself as a foundational piece of this franchise for years to come.

General manager John Lynch said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game, Kittle's long-term extension will be a point of emphasis:

“George isn’t going anywhere. We’re going to work hard to try to get it done. I think they’ve got motivation just to really reset the tight end market, as do we, for him. It’s just finding that sweet spot, where that is.”

Lynch's comments are certainly understandable. Kittle has quickly emerged into arguably the best tight end in the NFL today and the time has come for him to start getting paid like it.

Kittle is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons that saw him haul in at least 85 receptions each time en route to Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. His efforts as a safety net for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo have been paired with his stellar contributions in the run game as one of the best blockers at his position.

Kittle's complete skill set has already provided San Francisco with plenty of bang for their buck and it is now time that they hold up their end. Of course, this will be much easier said than done since Lynch will have to reset the tight end market with his new deal. The four-year, $44 million deal that tight end Austin Hooper signed with the Cleveland Browns will likely serve as a minor benchmark for Kittle's extension.