The San Francisco 49ers have had an eventful offseason, to say the least. They lost a bunch of contributors via free agency and trades. Tight end George Kittle was looking for a new deal for weeks before agreeing to a four-year, $76.4 million extension.
He's now the highest-paid tight end in the league, making $19.1 million a year. It looks like Kittle will spend the rest of his career in San Francisco, but the 49ers decided to turn down a good offer in return for the star tight end.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini was a guest on the "Scoop City" podcast and reported that the 49ers had conversations around a Kittle trade before the NFL draft, but nothing materialized.
She said, "I know there was a team that had a conversation with the 49ers the night before the draft about a possible trade for Kittle, a second-rounder they were looking to get in return. They turned it down, the 49ers, and decided to keep him and really move this situation forward by getting a deal done, but there was a little interest there, some poking around."
49ers Turned Down 2nd-Round Pick for George Kittle
This draft class was considered to be very deep at tight end. If the 49ers did in fact move on from Kittle, they could have certainly found a successor somewhere on Day 2 or Day 3 while using that additional second-rounder to bolster the roster.
The Iowa product will be turning 32 years old in October, so some of his best days could be behind him, but the 49ers decided to double down on their homegrown talent. And you can't blame them, considering he has gone over 1,000 yards in two straight seasons.
In 113 total games with San Francisco, Kittle has logged 538 receptions for 7,380 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns. The six-time Pro Bowler is the focal point for the offense, and the 49ers wanted him around for the long haul.
Whether or not they regret passing on a second-round pick for him remains to be seen, but turning down a premium pick for the aging Kittle is certainly a risky decision.