George Kittle did not report for the start of the San Francisco 49ers’ offseason program on Tuesday. A day later, he made a surprisingly public move to dismiss speculation surrounding his absence.
Kittle is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers, who have held discussions with his representatives around a new deal.
Most of the 49ers team reported for the phase one of their offseason program on Tuesday, which consists of meetings and conditioning work. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy was present at the 49ers’ facility in an apparently positive sign for negotiations over his contract extension.
Kittle, however, stayed away, with a report on X (formerly Twitter) from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini stating that his absence is contract-related.
But Kittle was quick to dismiss that report, posted a reply to Russini that simply read: “Your source is incorrect.”
Your source is incorrect
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) April 23, 2025
Kittle’s denial of that report is a positive for a 49ers team that will be eager to avoid the long contract sagas that defined their offseason last year.
Asked on Tuesday about the Kittle situation, general manager John Lynch told a press conference ahead of the NFL Draft: “We’ll see on that. You know, these things are voluntary right now, but again, with that we’ve had good communication, good talks, and we’ll see where that goes.”
It may still be some time before Kittle receives a new deal but right now it appears his decision not to report for the offseason program is simply related to the fact he is not yet obligated to do so.
