The George Kittle Trend the 49ers Don't Want to See

This isn't good.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

George Kittle will not only be entering his age-33 season, but he will also be doing so while coming back from a torn Achilles tendon. Players tend to hit a decline around that age anyway, so getting back to his old ways might be harder than expected. 

Why George Kittle Might Have Seen the Last of His Prime Days with the San Francisco 49ers

When Kittle has started in at least 14 games, he has hit 765 yards or more in every year during his career. However, even though Kittle expects to be healthy enough to play many games in 2026, it might be tough for him to get back to that peak. 

In the Super Bowl era, only eight tight ends at age 33 or older hit 700 yards or more. Those are tight ends who were not coming back from devastating injuries. Meanwhile, six of those tight ends also went over 800 yards. 

Kittle would join Travis Kelce, Wesley Walls, Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Delanie Walker, and Shannon Sharpe if he were able to hit 800 yards next season. 

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

 Only one of those players topped 900 yards, and it was Travis Kelce, who hit 1,338 yards. Kelce has always been more of a passing game threat compared to Kittle. So, if Kittle were to get back to 900 yards, it would be unprecedented. Even getting back to 800 yards would be quite the feat. 

If Kittle were to get to 800 yards, that might be the last season that we see it as well. Only Antonio Gates and Travis Kelce have surpassed 700 yards at age 34. Kelce, Gonzalez, Sharpe, and Ben Watson hit that marker while being 35. 

Kelce and Gonzalez did it at age 36, and Kelce is hoping to do it again at age 37 to join Gonzalez. Aside from the rare outlier of Watson, only the all-time great receiving threats lasted this long. Kittle is one of the better all-time receiving tight ends, but none of them were coming off of such a serious injury. 

Kittle could give the 49ers one or two more good years, but even that might be pushing it at this stage of his career. With his injury history, fans should enjoy every game of Kittle this year and soak in all of the big games that he gives the team. He is not going to have many of those left.