When the San Francisco 49ers drafted George Kittle from Iowa in the fifth round, the team believed they snagged a great player very late in the NFL Draft. I doubt they could have imagined they had drafted a player who would catch more passes than every 49er not named Jerry Rice. That’s right. Kittle has more receptions than Terrell Owens, who some consider the second-greatest wide receiver of all time, and certainly the second-greatest 49ers pass catcher.
Kittle even held the single-season receiving yard record for any tight end ever with Nick Mullens as his primary quarterback. We haven’t even gotten into his run-blocking prowess. Unfortunately, Kittle’s 2025 season ended with an Achilles injury in the Wild Card round in Philadelphia, before the 49ers were bounced by the eventual Super Bowl champ Seattle Seahawks. Heading into 2026, Kittle will turn 33, but before the Achilles injury showed no signs of slowing down and has seen an uptick in touchdown production with Brock Purdy as quarterback.
Looking back on the 2025 season, Kittle’s season started with a bang and a touchdown against Seattle in Week 1, but much of his season was marred by injury. Still, Kittle played in 12 games and finished with 58 receptions, 634 yards, and seven touchdowns.
Coming into 2025, Kittle was still ranked by many as the number one tight end in football, and for good reason. Brock Bowers and Trey McBride were the talk of the tight end town, but Kittle was far more efficient on less usage. Toss in the blocking, and Kittle was still the betting favorite to be the best.
Well, 2025 was a down year for Bowers as he dealt with injuries, but McBride ascended to a new level with multiple quarterbacks. The Arizona tight end finished with the most receptions by a tight end in NFL history, with 11 touchdowns to boot.
So, where does that put Kittle at his age and in the recovery from a devastating leg injury? Pro Football Focus believes Kittle was still the best in 2025 for multiple reasons.
“After nine seasons in the NFL, George Kittle remains at the top of the food chain. Kittle is the prototypical tight end. He can run-block, he can pass-block, and most of all, he can catch the football.
Even though he played in just 12 games in 2025, Kittle was a force. He caught 58 passes for 634 yards and seven touchdowns, and his 85.3% catch rate was the fourth-highest among tight ends.
Kittle is just omnipotent at this point. He’s earned a PFF grade of over 90.0 in four of his nine seasons in the NFL, and hasn’t compiled a grade under 84.0 since his rookie season. The question for Kittle now, though, is how he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round. Let’s hope the veteran can get back to his best.“
There is more to playing the position than catching passes, which has been the crux of the argument for Kittle over Travis Kelce for many years. When Kittle is right, his impact is unmatched; the 49ers’ running game has a different look and edge.
What do you think? Is Kittle still the best in the NFL? Does the end-of-season injury change your opinion? Let us know in the comments.
About the Author: Insidethe49
