The San Francisco 49ers avoided a prolonged contract negotiation with tight end George Kittle, but before agreeing to a new four-year contract it looked like things could get messy between the 49ers and their All-Pro TE.
When Kittle didn’t show up for the start of OTAs the Tuesday before the NFL draft, teams took it as a cue to try and pry the superstar away from the 49ers according to the Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
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Via Russini on the Scoop City podcast:
“So once that got out there, teams started poking around on it. And I know there was a team that had a conversation with the 49ers the night before the draft about a possible trade for Kittle. A second rounder they were looking to get in return.
“So, yeah. They turned it down. The 49ers decided to keep him and really move this situation forward by getting a deal done. But there was a little interest there, some poking around.”
It makes sense that a team might sneak in and try to make a deal with San Francisco. They saw a mass exodus of veterans in the offseason and a push to make the roster younger and more cost-effective. Kittle was in line to become the highest-paid TE in NFL history while entering his age 32 season. Both of those things seemingly fly against the 49ers’ roster-building ethos this offseason.
However, Kittle is a star who still produces like a star. The 49ers aren’t looking to stop spending money, they’re just trying to tighten up where they spend money. A five-time All-Pro who is still producing at a high level is the exact kind of player they should be looking to keep around, and it makes sense the club wasn’t eager to move him for even a second-round pick.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL trade rumors: 49ers were offered 2nd-round pick for George Kittle