Major Contract Stalemate Between The San Francisco 49ers And Star Tight End George Kittle?

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Is star tight end George Kittle in the midst of a contract stalemate with the San Francisco 49ers? ... [+] (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)Getty Images

It was noted just ahead of the Super Bowl this past February that All-Pro tight end George Kittle could receive a record-breaking contract from the San Francisco 49ers.

Said extension would far surpass the four-year, $42 million deal new Cleveland Browns tight end Austin Hooper is currently playing under. Given Kittle’s record-setting performance over the first three seasons of his career, this made perfect sense.

Outside of the receiving numbers, the former fifth-round pick remains the single-best run-blocking tight end in the NFL. It’s not necessarily that close.

Given his importance in all aspects of what San Francisco does on offense under head coach Kyle Shanahan, it stood to reason that Kittle would have already received a groundbreaking extension.

Not so fast. According to NFL Media’s Mike Silver, things are not going swimmingly as it relates to a new contract. The respected insider notes that the 49ers and Kittle’s representatives have not talked since preliminary conversations early in the offseason.