George Kittle, 49ers agree to record contract extension, agent confirms

George Kittle is a record-setting tight end, and he now has a record-setting contract to match.

After months of negotiations, Kittle and the 49ers agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $75 million on Thursday, agent Jack Bechta confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.

George Kittle's deal with the #49ers, confirmed by agent @jackbechta, is five years, $75 million with a signing bonus of $18M. It includes $30M guaranteed at signing and $40 million in total guarantees.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 13, 2020

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The news was first reported by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver.

The #49ers & star TE George Kittle are in agreement on a 5-year, $75M extension, sources tell me & @MikeSilver, one that gives him more than half of it in guarantees. Language is being worked on, but numbers are there. One of their top players, this was a big-time priority 💰💰💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 13, 2020

The #49ers are giving TE George Kittle an $18M signing bonus, source said. A large sum especially in a pandemic. Mostly, he blows the doors off the TE market and they keep their own. https://t.co/WVOrQflHXp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 13, 2020

Kittle's new deal easily makes him the highest paid tight end in NFL history.

At an average of $15 million per year, George Kittle now becomes the NFL’s highest-paid TE, by a long shot. Before Kittle’s deal, Hunter Henry held that title with a $10,607M deal on his franchise tag.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2020

The 49ers drafted Kittle in the fifth round (No. 146 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he was entering the final season of his four-year rookie deal.

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Kittle set an NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (1,377) in 2018. His 88 receptions that season remain a 49ers record and Kittle caught another 85 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. He is the only tight end in 49ers history to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons.

The 26-year-old has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, earning a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2019 as well. Pro Football Focus graded Kittle as the NFL's best player that season, and Kittle has developed as an elite pass-catcher and run-blocker at his position.

Now, he's being paid like one.