What Chris Jones' Extension Means for George Kittle
The Kansas City Chiefs just broke off defensive tackle Chris Jones with a four-year extension worth $85 million, with $60 million in guarantees. The Chiefs were not only able to lock up their franchise quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, they locked up one of the top defensive tackles in the game.
They did all of this with a tight salary cap, which is the excuse being used for why the San Francisco 49ers haven't extended George Kittle. One team is making it happen by taking care of their elite players, while another is just twiddling their numbs.
Seeing Jones receive his extension has to irk Kittle, even just a little bit. It is proof that the 49ers can extend him right now. They have always had that ability to execute it, so why haven't they done so?
The reason being is because the 49ers are exercising caution and this current pandemic is only making them move slower. They do not view Kittle's extension as cut and dry as a regular tight end contract since they need to factor in his ability as a receiver.
There is no doubt Kittle is going to reset the tight-end market. He knows his value and has likely set a number that the 49ers are not currently comfortable with. It is just about where to draw that fine line so the 49ers do not cap strap themselves.
Otherwise, they could be in a position where they cannot field a team of quality talent for the foreseeable future.
The Los Angeles Rams are a perfect example of this. They thought they could just collect and pay all of the premier talent on their roster. They even believed that trading away their future for cornerback Jalen Ramsey was a solid move.
These are the consequences and concerns of being over-aggressive.
The Chiefs' extension of Jones and Mahomes is an aggressive move that has them moving their chips to the center of the table for 2020 and 2021. Now, these moves aren't as self-destructive as the Rams', but they are taking a full roll of the dice here. They're expecting and believing that the salary cap will rise after this year. It is a gamble that they are clearly okay with because of the two talents they locked up.
That isn't how the 49ers operate nor will they ever.
They are more on the conservative side, which should be nothing new to fans. Being conservative and cautious to avoid higher risk is what this team is about. Just look at how Kyle Shanahan calls plays in critical situations. Conservative and cautious is this team's motto. It isn't necessarily a bad thing. Team's have to have that balance of the two sides.
In this instance with Kittle, they are taking the right steps. Next season the 49ers are going to have a ton of players hit the free agent market. Retaining a good portion of those players is getting blurrier as this pandemic continues because of the cap liabilities.
That is something they want to avoid because the coaching staff loves the current group of players that they have. They'll certainly try to replicate this offseason of keeping the core of players intact once again.
But with the cash flow still set as a variable for the season, the 49ers will not feel comfortable conducting serious business. Kittle's extension will remain on pause until either the 49ers gain clarity on the future of the salary cap, or they can lock Kittle in on a smaller number.
