A dramatic offseason for the San Francisco 49ers continues as superstar tight end George Kittle seeks a new contract.
Kittle, 31, was not present on Tuesday, April 22, when the team opened their voluntary offseason workouts in Santa Clara, California.
The 49ers star has one year remaining on his five-year, $75 million contract. Kittle is reportedly seeking to sign a new deal before the season starts that would see him retire in San Francisco.
The team’s general manager, John Lynch, expressed optimism about Kittle’s future in San Francisco on Tuesday, telling reporters, “We’ve had good communication, good talks. And we’ll see where that goes.”
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According to The Athletic, Kittle and the team remain “far apart in a new deal.”
Lynch, 53, stressed that the current offseason program is not mandatory, though veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams was present on Tuesday. So, too, were quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner, both of whom are in the process of negotiating extensions with the 49ers.
Meanwhile, George was seen with his wife, Claire Kittle, attending both nights of WWE’s Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas over the weekend. The six-time Pro Bowler was spotted chugging a beer during the broadcast of Night 1 on Saturday, April 19.
The conversation surrounding George is the latest chapter in a contentious offseason in San Francisco.
In March, the team released longtime fullback Kyle Juszczyk after eight years with the franchise. The announcement drew the ire of Juszczyk’s wife, Kristin Juszczyk, and George’s wife, Claire.
“It will never make sense,” Claire, 30, wrote, via her Instagram Story, alongside a photo of her, George, Kyle, 34, and Kristin, 31. “I thank the Lord for bringing us together in 2017. You boys are everything an organization could dream of, on and off the field. I’m so proud of you.”
The 49ers changed course and re-signed Kyle just days later, which TikToker and former NFL player Isaac Rochell called “a Mean Girls situation.”
“Kyle Juszczyk is our Cady Heron,” Rochell, 29, said in a March 16 video. “The Plastics, the 49ers. Cady Heron joined the 49ers, immediately welcomed in. The Plastics said, ‘We’re going to build our offense around you. You are the cornerstone of everything we’re doing.’ And then what? Cady Heron cast out by the Plastics.”
Mean Girls starred Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, a newbie at North Shore High School who begins running with — and then feuding with — the Plastics, headed by Regina George, played by Rachel McAdams.
Rochell continued, “What happened to the Plastics? They started falling apart. 49ers, what is their offense going to be? Are they going to have to change everything? They don’t have a fullback now. That changes the whole dynamic of their offense. The Plastics called [Cady] back. They didn’t sign her to a two-year, eight-million dollar deal, which I’m sure she would have taken.”
