SANTA CLARA — Life as a third wheel has been good to George Kittle.
Just nine yards away from his third season with 1,000 yards receiving, Kittle at age 30 is as good as he’s ever been — which is saying something for someone who has more receptions (457) and yardage (6,245) than any tight end in 49ers history.
The 1,000-yard milestone should be surpassed at some point in the first quarter Sunday in the 49ers’ road game against the Washington Commanders. As much as Kittle values blocking, he was taught early by former position coach Jon Embree to appreciate a statistical marker that is rarified air to a true tight end.
“My goal every year is 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns,” Kittle said. “It’s a goal I set for myself since my second year. My tight ends coach made me do that. And I love having that mindset, something to strive for.
“Is it the most important thing? No, winning is. But it’s a fun little box you can check and it looks good. If you can have a thousand yards it definitely means you’re contributing to the team in a good way.”
As a rookie, Kittle started seven games and caught 43 passes as a fifth-round draft pick out of Iowa, part of the first draft class for coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. At the time, there was no way of knowing Kittle would be a cornerstone in the rejuvenation of a franchise.
His value became clear in a breakout year in 2018 when he cemented himself as one of the better draft picks in team history with 88 receptions for 1,377 yards and five touchdowns.
Kittle followed that up with 85 catches for 1,053 yards and five more scores in an NFC championship season, but hasn’t seen 1,000 yards since.
After being the primary receiver with 243 targets from quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo, C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens, Kittle has settled into being part of a formidable supporting cast. It has only made him better, as well as his team.
Kittle is one of a quartet of receiving options for Brock Purdy. Brandon Aiyuk has 65 catches for 1,203 yards and six touchdowns; Christian McCaffrey has 63 catches for 537 yards and seven scores; Kittle has 62 catches for 991 yards and six touchdowns; and Deebo Samuel has 53 catches for 834 yards and six touchdowns.
With Samuel 166 yards shy of 1,000, the 49ers have a chance to finish with a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers.
Only twice in NFL history has a team had a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers — the Atlanta Falcons in 1995 and the Indianapolis Colts in 2004. Neither of those teams had a tight end in the 1,000-yard club.
“I don’t sit back and look at my stats 24/7,” Kittle said. “But it is cool when you’ve got a lot of guys playing at a high level. It’s hard to B.S. your way to a thousand yards. You have to go out there and put a lot of good stuff on tape, and the fact that we have three — one guy has done it and me and Deebo are pretty close — with Christian leading in touchdowns and with 1,300 yards — means we’ve got a lot of guys that are contributing at high levels.”
With a playing style that suggests each snap is a full-on commando raid, Kittle missed 14 games from 2019 through 2021 but has played in all 15 so far in 2023. His penchant for big-yardage plays continues. Kittle had a 58-yard catch and run on the 49ers’ first possession against Baltimore, had a 66-yard gain earlier this season, and his yards per reception of 16.0 is a career-best.
“I have to get as much YAC (yards after catch) as I can,” Kittle said. “Got some deep balls, have got some breakaways, and can run a little bit. We have so many mouths to feed in this offense. It’s a great problem to have. When you have the ball in your hands you want to do everything you can to run as far as you possibly can.”
Kittle’s blocking prowess makes him old-school as a tight end, a modern-day Mike Ditka or Dave Casper. Shanahan will occasionally flex Kittle out or line him up in the backfield for mismatch purposes, but for the most part, he’s a vanishing breed as an in-line tight end. Kittle will have more blocking responsibilities in a game than Travis Kelce will have in a month and he does it with aggression and enthusiasm.
Make no mistake — for as many stars as the 49ers have on their roster, Kittle is the closest thing to a beating heart in terms of carrying out the work ethic and team culture Shanahan and Lynch desire. As much as Kittle the personality enjoys putting on a show, he’s a player of fundamental substance.
While enjoying his touches, Kittle is equally happy with a role as a blocker and game-plan be damned, sometimes winds up having a big receiving day when it wasn’t necessarily in the game plan.
Shanahan has found that as long as Kittle is healthy enough to practice regularly, everything else comes naturally in terms of production.
“The way George plays, the way our offense is, and how things tie the run and the pass game together means it’s something we don’t have to force,” Shanahan said. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Purdy quickly discovered Kittle to be an asset even when the ball is originally designated for someone else. After catching 14 touchdown passes from Jimmy Garoppolo in parts of four seasons, Kittle has already had 13 from Purdy in the last 20 games.
Kittle’s demolition-derby style of play doesn’t always lend itself to quality practice time with recovery a priority. Kittle himself dodges any questions about how he’s feeling and what he’s dealing with physically.
“I’ve felt better but I’ve also felt worse,” Kittle said. “But I’m taking all the reps and I’m just happy to be playing football.”