The San Francisco 49ers surprised a lot of people in 2019. They made a massive leap from the year before, and finished the season with a 13-3 record. Then they found themselves in the Super Bowl.

While they didn't win, they proved they were the real deal. Now, they have a bit of an issue though. Suddenly, the 49ers are in a position as serious contenders, but need to pay the players if they want to stay that way.

Two of those players are George Kittle and Arik Armstead.

Kittle is one of the best tight ends in football, while Armstead is an elite defensive end that led the team in sacks with 10. The good news for San Francisco fans is that the 49ers plan on keeping both.

San Francisco could run into a little bit of a problem here. Trying to work out big contracts can get messy. Especially because they are apparently ready to franchise tag Armstead.

In the past, franchise tagging players has led to issues. They become unhappy, want to be locked up long-term, and a ton of problems arise.

Meanwhile, Kittle deserves big money, but how much will they throw at him? He is definitely someone you want to lock up. Easily the best player in their passing game. But you don't want to handcuff the rest of your team.

The 49ers are already pretty steep when it comes to money. They don't want to make it impossible to bring in more weapons by spending too much on just a few players.

It sounds like they are dead set on keeping Kittle though. So expect them to work something out. Even if it is expensive, Kittle is worth it.

Meanwhile, Armstead is one of their best defenders and worth trying to lock up. They might be thinking future though, and want to save that lock-up money for Nick Bosa. So it will be interesting to see that situation develop.