49ers’ George Kittle hopes that Brandon Aiyuk “gets the money he deserves”
During a recent episode of NFL’s Insider, TE George Kittle highly praised teammate Brandon Aiyuk and admitted that he deserves a big salary increase and will continue to cheer him on.
49ers TE George Kittle backs Brandon Aiyuk for a swift contract extension (Image via IMAGO)
George Kittle weighed in on Brandon Aiyuk’s ongoing contract talks with the San Francisco 49ers. In his view, Aiyuk is one of the best receivers in the league and deserves all the money.
Aiyuk recently requested a trade because the 49ers reportedly refused to meet his demands even though several teams lined up to pay his wages. He skipped the entire off-season OTAs and is unlikely to participate in the upcoming training camp as well.
Amidst the delicate situation, Aiyuk received support from teammate George Kittle. The All-Pro tight end made a guest appearance on the NFL’s Insider on Monday, and while speaking with host Ian Rapoport, Kittle revealed that Aiyuk deserves to be paid according to the season he had.
He's [Brandon Aiyuk] just such a dynamic receiver, and he's just such a very important part of our [the 49ers] offense. So, yes, getting Brandon Aiyuk the money that he deserves—I hope nothing [but] the best for him.George Kittle told Rapoport
He can merely wish for the deal to wrap up quickly because, ultimately, it’s not in his hands to settle. Regardless, Kittle announced that he would cheer his teammate from the sidelines.
George Kittle pointed out what makes Brandon Aiyuk a special player
The Arizona graduate had the best season of his NFL career in 2023. He recorded 75 catches for 1349 receiving yards (17.9 yards per catch) and 7 touchdowns en route to his first-ever All-Pro call-up. Pro Football Focus graded him a solid 92.3 among the receivers who had at least 20% of the league’s highest volume.
It’s a testament to Aiyuk’s performances for the 49ers, Kittle highlighted several of the qualities that made him a special player.
Aiyuk's just a phenomenal football player... [He is] a receiver who can run every single route, catch all the tough footballs, be open at the right time, but also grinds in the run game, blocks everybody you want him to.George Kittle added
Kittle basically reiterated his thoughts from when he spoke with Rich Eisen on his show. He briefly touched upon his contract extension story, which dragged on for a while but eventually settled before the season began.
Does @gkittle46 expect to see Brandon Aiyuk in @49ers camp this month?
And has any tight ends dared to ask @tkelce for @taylorswift13 tickets??#NFL #FTTB @gregolsen88 @CMC_22 pic.twitter.com/fLMbXn2dSE
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 11, 2024
I didn't get signed until the second week of training camp, Deebo [Samuel] was pretty late. [Nick] Bosa was in the first week of the season. That's just how business is done out there.Kittle told Rich Eisen
If the 49ers had moved quickly to finalize a deal with Aiyuk just after the Super Bowl, then the situation would not have become this complicated. However, now that the quarterback mark has reset to $35 million a year (Justin Jefferson), Aiyuk expects similar wages, or at least close to that number.
