George Kittle contract, explained: Why 49ers star is not attending San Francisco's voluntary offseason workout

Morgan Moriarty

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George Kittle contract, explained: Why 49ers star is not attending San Francisco's voluntary offseason workout image

Although NFL teams are preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft this week, players are also starting to attend voluntary offseason workouts. Over the next few weeks, players will begin showing up at their teams' facilities for the first time since the regular season ended. 

The San Francisco 49ers will begin their offseason workout program on Tuesday. But one star player that will not be in attendance is tight end George Kittle. Kittle is reportedly working with the 49ers on a new deal. 

Let's take a look at the latest news surrounding Kittle's absence from offseason workouts, his contract and more. 

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Where is George Kittle?

Kittle is not attending the 49ers' voluntary offseason workouts, which began on Tuesday. Although his quarterback, Brock Purdy, was in attendance, Kittle was notably not.

The news of his absence was reported by both ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport on Tuesday: 

The NFLPA strictly states that these workouts are strictly voluntary, and that teams cannot indicate that the workouts are not voluntary. A couple of days before the offseason workout program began in San Francisco, Kittle was seen attending WrestleMania in Las Vegas:

While there's no cause for alarm for 49ers fans just yet, it is still slightly significant that Kittle is sitting out early in the offseason program in San Francisco. 

George Kittle contract details

Kittle signed a five-year, $75 million rookie extension with the 49ers in 2020 that is set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.

NFL reporter Mike Silver, while appearing on Dianna Russini's Scoop City podcast, said that he didn't expect Kittle to show up to the offseason program. He added that although there has been some back and forth between the two sides, they remain "not really close to aligned" at this time: 

Kittle's contract is set to count for a $22 million cap hit for San Francisco during the 2025 season. 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters in late February that he would like to see Kittle retire in San Fran:

The NFL's date for players to begin signing a franchise player to a multiyear contract or extension is July 15. Mandatory training camps begin later that month.  

While Kittle holding out from voluntary workouts doesn't appear to be too surprising, we'll see if it continues as the offseason rolls on.

Morgan Moriarty

Morgan Moriarty joined The Sporting News as a content producer in the fall of 2024. Her sports journalism career started at the University of Florida in 2012, where she graduated in 2015. She has covered college football and basketball, the NFL and numerous other major sports for outlets like the Tampa Bay Times, Saturday Down South, UPROXX Sports and SB Nation. She also covers college football for Bleacher Report, and is a featured guest on various CNN programs.