George Kittle’s 2025 season was supposed to be derailed by a torn Achilles. Instead, it became another reminder that the 49ers tight end is operating in a different lane than most players at his position.
Kittle was on a historic pace before the injury cut him off after 11 games, yet he still finished as San Francisco’s top receiving threat in a year when the wideout room was hammered by injuries. The Brock Purdy-to-Kittle connection was one of the league’s most dangerous pairings, and even with the missed time, Kittle’s production never looked ordinary. His overall numbers dipped to their lowest since 2022, but the bigger takeaway was the same one the league keeps coming back to: “Tight End U” is still alive and well.
That’s part of why Kittle checked in at No. 46 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for next season. He dropped 15 spots, but he also stayed in the top 50 for the eighth straight year, which says plenty about how consistently he’s separated himself from the pack. Before his 10th NFL season, he remains a fixture on that list.
In 11 games last season, Kittle finished second on the 49ers in receptions with 57 and receiving touchdowns with 7. He also graded out among the league’s best tight ends in multiple metrics, despite missing significant time. The production was still there, and so was the all-around value.
The numbers behind his ranking make the case even louder. Kittle posted an overall 90.8 grade, the best among NFL tight ends, along with a 91.2 receiving grade, also tops at the position. Add in a 72.2 run and pass-blocking grade, and you get the full picture of why he remains such a rare weapon.
The NFL’s own Top 100 reveal reflected that standing:
No. 50 -- Derwin James, @chargers S
No. 49 -- Joe Thuney, @ChicagoBears G
No. 48 -- Josh Hines-Allen, @Jaguars DE
No. 47 -- Quinyon Mitchell, @Eagles CB
No. 46 -- George Kittle, @49ers TE
No. 45 -- Zack Baun, @Eagles LB
No. 44 -- Joe Burrow,…
Kittle’s case goes beyond one strong season, even one shortened by injury. He has been productive since entering the league in 2017, and he was on pace for another 1,000-yard campaign before the Achilles tear. He’s also built a résumé that already puts him within striking distance of a rare club.
Only 10 tight ends are in the Hall of Fame, and Kittle is closing in on the average career numbers for that group. Those Hall of Fame tight ends averaged 625 receptions, 8,075 receiving yards and 59 receiving touchdowns. Kittle now sits at 595 receptions, 8,008 receiving yards and 52 receiving touchdowns, leaving him 30 catches, 67 yards and seven touchdowns short of those averages.
He’s already got two First-Team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods, which only strengthens the argument. If last season was any indication, Kittle is not just one of the best tight ends in the NFL right now - he’s one of the best all-around tight ends the game has ever seen. And with plenty of football still ahead, he has a real chance to keep building on a Hall of Fame case that already looks mighty strong.
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Iowa will get its chance to make a stronger impression when Davis is scheduled to visit on October 3, part of a run of upcoming stops that also includes several other schools. He has already been to Washington, giving the Huskies an early foothold, but the race is still wide open with so many programs involved. For Iowa, landing a player with Davis profile would be a significant win, and the next few weeks should tell plenty about where the Hawkeyes stand. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Special Teams Overhaul Puts New Kicker Under An Immediate Spotlight
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Polizzi has brought in transfers to help fill several of those roles, but the unit is still sorting through a few unsettled spots as camp moves along. For Iowa, that makes the kicking battle more than just a routine position change, because special teams has long been a defining part of the programs identity and the next wave has to prove it can hold up quickly. [Read more 🡒]