​San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle believes the pay gap for his position is finally narrowing, though there is still work to be done. In an appearance on the New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Kittle noted that tight ends are gaining more recognition as offenses rely more on multiple-tight-end sets, citing the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams as examples. “We’re kind of finally getting a little bit more money as a room, which honestly — yeah, we’re getting a little bit more pay. I still think we should get more. But it is what it is,” he said.
Kittle emphasized that the bigger issue lies with blocking-first tight ends who may not rack up catches but are just as valuable. He pointed to 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk as an example of someone who does the “dirty work” without receiving commensurate pay, calling Juszczyk the offense’s “fixer” for cleaning up busted assignments on the fly. He argued that role players deserve bigger paydays relative to receivers who post modest numbers. “There’s No. 2 wide receivers who get 30 catches a year that are getting over $20 million. The tight end who plays like 50 snaps a game and has one target a game probably deserves at least — he should probably get 50 mil. That’s just my opinion.”
Kittle highlighted Charlie Kolar’s contract with the Los Angeles Chargers as evidence that the market is shifting toward valuing blocking tight ends. Kolar, who has just 30 career receptions in four seasons, signed a three-year deal worth $24.3 million with $17.0 million guaranteed. That stands out as a sizable contract for a player who mostly blocks. Meanwhile, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts recently earned a three-year, $54 million extension this offseason. The top current earners include Kittle himself, who signed a four-year extension worth $76.4 million, and Trey McBride, who agreed to a four-year, $76 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.
The next wave of tight end contracts is expected to be interesting, with players such as Brock Bowers, Tyler Warren, and Colston Loveland aiming for substantial deals in the coming years. This article originally appeared on Niners Wire, with a focus on George Kittle’s take on why tight ends deserve more respect and higher salaries.