San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle ran to Eric Saubert last Sunday with his arms fully outstretched before engulfing him in a bear hug, as if Saubert were his long-lost child rather than a teammate.
The inspiration for such exuberance and joy? Saubert, Kittle’s unheralded position mate, had just scored only the third touchdown of his eight-season career in a 29-17 loss to the Dolphins. Asked about Kittle’s emotion Friday, Saubert smiled and said he believes the All-Pro’s sunny outlook is a secret to his success.
“That’s just how he is — he’s very uplifting and positive,” Saubert said. “We joke about it. We’re going through not an ideal season, but George maintains this positivity about him that’s really hard to do for normal people. It’s part of his mindset. And it’s part of why he’s so good.”
Attitude might not be everything, but perhaps Kittle’s disposition helps explain why he has been one of the few bright spots in a dark 6-9 season that will end without a playoff berth for the 49ers for the first time since 2020.
Last year, the 49ers won the NFC title and became the first team in NFL history to have a running back (Christian McCaffrey), two wide receivers (Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel) and tight end (Kittle) each have at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in a single season.
This year, Aiyuk and McCaffrey will combine to miss 23 games due to injuries and Samuel has endured well-documented struggles, leaving only Kittle on pace to duplicate his production from 2023.
In fact, he’s likely to surpass it while joining tight end royalty. Entering Monday’s game against the visiting Lions, Kittle, who had 65 catches for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns last year, has 68 catches for 967 yards and eight scores. With 33 receiving yards against Detroit, he’ll collect the fourth 1,000-yard season of his eight-year career and join a decorated quartet. The other tight ends in NFL history with as many 1,000-yard campaigns: Travis Kelce (seven), Tony Gonzalez (four), Rob Gronkowski (four) and Jason Witten (four).
Gonzalez is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he’s likely to be joined by the others. Kittle, 31, who has the second-most receiving yards (7,241) by a tight end through his first eight seasons, is aware Canton will come calling if he continues to produce years such as 2024.
“The more seasons you can stack up like that, the more fun things you can do down the road,” Kittle said.
Kittle, a seven-time team captain, is as loyal as he is accomplished. During Netflix’s “Receiver,” a docuseries that tracked Kittle, Samuel and three other pass catchers during the 2023 season, Kittle was captured consoling 49ers kicker Jake Moody after he missed a potential game-winning field-goal in a loss at Cleveland. And Kittle was the first to prop up Brock Purdy after the quarterback threw two late-game interceptions the following week in a loss at Minnesota.
It was no surprise that Kittle was the most outspoken player when since-suspended linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to play in a 12-6 loss to the Rams on Dec. 12. Asked about Kittle’s allegiance, Purdy, like Saubert, tied his personality to his success, noting how he has been unwavering during a wobbly season.
“More than anything, he’s a guy that’s going to do anything for you when you step on the field,” Purdy said. “Off the field, he’s got your back. And for our team — we’ve been in some tough situations this year. And that dude has been one of the dudes that comes to work every single day. All the guys have — but George, especially.
“Every Sunday, he shows up. He’s doing the dirty work. He’s blocking. Making tough plays — catching the ball and breaking tackles. George has done it all. We’re all extremely blessed to have George as a teammate and look up to him a lot.”
Saubert, 30, who signed with the 49ers in April, has been struck by how Kittle’s big personality and humor can obscure his all-consuming commitment to his craft. Kittle will trek to Panama for stem-cell treatment a few days after the regular season — “The work doesn’t stop,” Saubert said — and he ensures that both he and his fellow tight ends are ultra-prepared for games.
“He’ll be poring over the third-down install the night before the game,” Saubert said. “Or we’ll be quizzing each other on the plane. Reminding each other things about complex plays. He’ll be like, ‘Remember on this you’ve got this responsibility.’ Everything he does is with purpose and intention to be the best he can be on Sunday. He takes it to a whole different level. And it’s inspiring.”
It’s possible that Kittle’s commitment will be rewarded in the offseason with a contract extension. He’s signed through the 2025 season, doesn’t have any guaranteed money remaining on his current deal and the 49ers could reduce his $22.085 million salary cap charge next season by adding more years to the contract of a still-productive player.
When asked Friday, Kittle told reporters he wouldn’t discuss his contract until the offseason. He wanted to keep the focus on the final two games of a lost season in which he has been one of the few sources of light. Saubert believes Kittle’s success is tied to his outlook, and Kittle derives so much of his joy from playing, even when playoff stakes no longer exist.
In 2020, when the 49ers were 5-9, Kittle returned to play in the final two weeks after missing six games with a broken foot.
“I played the final two games because I love football,” Kittle said. “You can only lace up your cleats so many times. And you never know when your last time is going to be. So you better take advantage of all of those opportunities.”