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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle joined The Rich Eisen Show on Monday, where the conversation opened with an unusual observation—there’s not much offseason drama surrounding the 49ers this year.
The most notable storyline was expected to be the contract negotiations between the team and quarterback Brock Purdy. However, that potential saga was short-lived, as the two sides reached a deal earlier than anticipated. Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner also received extensions, signaling a productive and relatively stress-free offseason.
So, what is there to talk about as we wait for the start of training camp?
“I’m so sorry that the 49ers aren’t the centerpiece of some drama this year for the NFL media to talk about, and the discourse,” Kittle joked to Eisen. “We’re just not doing our jobs of being dramatic enough.
“I’m so sorry for making you have to work a little bit harder, and not just to be able to have clickbait and headlines just right out of the locker room. I’m so sorry. I apologize for that.”
While the drama may be missing, Kittle did offer up one development worth discussing—Robert Saleh’s return to the 49ers as defensive coordinator.
“He’s really good at his job,” Kittle said, “and I’m really excited that we somehow convinced him to be our defensive coordinator again, because he knows what he’s talking about, he’s inspiring, he gets the boys fired up, and he just happens to also be really, really smart.
“So, I’m pumped to have him back in the building, just hanging out with him a little bit, talking about stuff. You can just tell he’s ready to roll this year, and he’s gonna get the boys fired up.”
Brock Purdy’s value to the 49ers
Eisen eventually found a headline-worthy topic—Purdy’s value. The 49ers quarterback recently signed the largest contract in franchise history, cementing his status as one of the top-paid players in the NFL. Still, debate lingers in some circles about whether Purdy has earned such a hefty paycheck.
Kittle made it clear he believes Purdy is worth every penny. He pointed to Purdy’s winning percentage and his remarkable NFL start, which includes two NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl berth in his first two NFL seasons.
“I think that’s decent,” Kittle quipped. “Actually, one of my favorite things about Purdy is everyone calls him the ‘Checkdown Merchant.’ And then, the last two years, he’s had the least amount of checkdowns in the NFL as a starting quarterback, so I think he’s doing pretty well.”
Purdy, Kittle, and the 49ers look to bounce back after a disappointing 6-11 finish last season, which saw them land in last place in the NFC West.
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