ESPN Ranks 49ers TE George Kittle Second among NFL Tight Ends

This seems disrespectful and incorrect.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) looks on in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

This seems disrespectful and incorrect.

ESPN recently polled NFL scouts, coaches and executives about the best players at each position. And these people voted Raiders tight end Brock Bowers No. 1 and 49ers tight end George Kittle No. 2 among NFL tight ends.

Keep in mind, George Kittle is a future Hall of Famer coming off arguably the best year of his career, and Bowers has played just one season.

"Kittle is aging well," writes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "He's coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with a combined 14 touchdowns during that two-year span. Fifty of his 78 catches last season went for a first down. His premier blocking remains unmatched, and he's still tough to bring down, leading all tight ends with 14.2 yards per catch.

"Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy signed massive contract extensions in tandem this offseason, so they have several years to build upon their chemistry. Kittle caught 83% of Purdy's targets last year.

"'He's shown that when he's healthy he's the most complete player at the position,' an AFC scout said. 'Durability is the only thing that's really affected that. He embodies San Francisco's culture and that's why they keep paying him.'"

Sure, Kittle misses one or two games per season. That's true. But there's no way you can say Bowers did enough in one season to surpass one of the greatest tight ends ever. Maybe if Bowers has another two elite seasons and Kittle begins to fall off, sure. But Kittle hasn't started to fall off, and Bowers hasn't proven that he's a consistent performer in the NFL. He may prove that one day, but he hasn't yet.

Silly ranking.