While the San Francisco 49ers are sputtering at wide receiver, they have the ultimate insurance policy at the tight end position to help support the receivers.
That insurance policy would be the best tight end in the league in George Kittle. But how much can Kittle himself make up for the lack of depth at receiver? That’s just where we will start with our three questions for the 49ers' tight end as we head into the 2025 season:
What does the state of the wide receiver corps mean for George Kittle?
The last time we spoke, we examined the lack of depth at receiver for the 49ers. One massive piece was missing from that, with the 49ers’ best pass-catcher being listed as a tight end, not a wide receiver.
With Brandon Aiyuk injured and Deebo Samuel’s poor form, George Kittle had his best season since his 2018 record-breaking campaign. In 2024, Kittle had his most targets since 2021 (94), his most receptions since 2019 (78), his most yards since 2018 (1,106), and his most touchdowns since 2022 (8), all while setting a career-high with 11.8 yards per target.
Now, the 49ers are without Samuel for good and without Aiyuk for the time being, which should mean Kittle should see an uptick in targets at minimum. In Kyle Shanahan’s tenure as the 49ers' head coach, only seven receivers have seen at least 100 targets in a season (in comparison, the Rams have had 11 receivers with at least 100 targets in the same timeframe with Sean McVay), with Kittle on the list twice, with 107 in 2019 and 138 in 2018.
It’s easier to type out than to execute, but there should be no reason Kittle doesn’t eclipse the 100 target mark in 2025, with a case to be made that he should be closer to his 2018 number than his 2019 number. Kittle is such an electrifying player that he should be treated as the No. 1 target on the 49ers in 2025.
But will that be enough to lift a passing game with a sudden lack of weapons? Possibly, but Kittle has a solid chance to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in three consecutive seasons for the first time in his career.
How high up the greatest tight end of all-time list can Kittle climb in 2025?
Kittle is currently considered the best tight end in the league, and with a solid 2025 season, he can climb the ranks of tight ends in league history. Let’s take a look at how far Kittle can ascend this season (and keep in mind Kittle has only played in 113 games):
The 49ers' tight end currently sits 15th among tight ends with 538 receptions. While Kittle will likely pass the ranks of Jeremy Shockey (547 in 136 games), Vernon Davis (583 in 198 games), and Heath Miller (592 in 168 games), Kittle trails Rob Gronkowski by 83 receptions for ninth all-time. Eighty-three receptions is a number that Kittle hasn’t seen since 85 receptions in 2019, but it’s an attainable number.
Kittle should be able to pass Davis in passing yards within the first month of the season, trailing the former 49er by just 182 yards to enter the top 10 in receiving yards among tight ends. Another 586 yards after that, Kittle will reach where Zach Ertz currently sits at 8,088 yards in 168 career games, but with him active in Washington, that will change. However, if Kittle can haul in 1,165 receiving yards in 2025, he’ll pass the recently retired Jimmy Graham, who totalled 8,545 yards in his 197 career games.
With nine touchdowns in 2025, Kittle will find himself inside the top ten among tight ends in that category as well. Currently at 17th with 45 career touchdowns, Kittle has a good chance to surpass the likes of Kyle Rudolph (50 touchdowns in 165 games), but will need another season like 2022 to surpass Dallas Clark (53 in 143 games) and Wesley Walls (54 in 196 games).
What 2025 is for Kittle is a chance to enter the top ten in a few key statistical categories that any pass-catcher would want to be recognized for. But what stands out most for Kittle is how quickly he’s gotten to this point in his career. While he is on the outside looking in of the top echelon of tight ends, 2025 will be the spot he enters the conversation with Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Travis Kelce, and Gronkowski, with plenty of time beyond 2025 to surpass that group.
Are there any expectations for Luke Farrell?
Ross Dwelley.
Levine Toilolo.
Jordan Reed.
Tyler Kroft.
Charlie Woerner.
Eric Saubert.
Now Luke Farrell joins the ranks as the latest attempt by the 49ers to find a second tight end behind George Kittle, with San Francisco having little success.
The second tight end has been an enigma to Shanahan and company, where finding a solid backup seems like a good idea in theory, but in execution, Kittle exists, and no other tight end should be taking targets from him. So, should there be expectations for Farrell this season to give any production, at least within the passing game?
The history suggests no.
The most “successful” backup the 49ers had was Reed, who flourished with 26 receptions and four touchdowns in 2020 when Kittle was dealing with injury. But when Kittle is fully healthy, there isn’t much there for the backup tight end.
Since Kittle’s coming-out party in the 2018 season, the tight end with the most receiving yards not named Kittle and outside of the 2020 season category was Dwelley in 2022, when he finished with 105 receiving yards on three receptions, aided by a 56-yard reception against the Rams in Week 10 of that season.
Saubert’s 2024 season would be next behind Dwelley, when he had 97 yards on 11 receptions. The 49ers rewarded him by not bringing him back over the offseason, with Saubert landing in the Pacific Northwest with the Seahawks.
The 49ers rushed to sign Farrell back in March, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the second tight end role will have an expansion in 2025.
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