Kittle uses perfect analogy to describe Aiyuk-49ers contract talks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — While Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers attempt to work out a contract extension, the Second-Team All-Pro receiver has a sympathetic ear in George Kittle.
Kittle understands exactly what his teammate is going through, having experienced his own negotiations just a few years ago which made him the third highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
“Something that I like to tell anyone going through a contract is the same thing that Richard Sherman told me — contracts are like braces,” Kittle said Tuesday. “They suck the entire time, and then once you get them off, you forget that you ever had them.
“This time, in the case of a contract, you get a big bag of money.”
“Contracts are like braces.”
Kittle on his offseason discussions with Brandon Aiyuk and the advice he passes off to anyone going through contract negotiations pic.twitter.com/vXsxKSUDll
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) July 23, 2024
Kittle found Sherman helpful to talk to. The two were teammates during the 2018-2020 seasons, which included the period when Kittle underwent contract negotiations with the 49ers. While the tight end vowed to keep his conversations with Aiyuk private, the Iowa product is happy to be a resource for his teammate.
“I just tried to tell him it’s a horrible process,” Kittle said. “I hated the entire process when I was going through it. [Nick] Bosa’s last year was awful. He didn’t get it done until the first week of the season. It’s not fun, but when it gets done or hopefully gets done, you’re like, ‘Hey, I get to play football now with my job security and my livelihood all secured.’ ”
Even without an extension in place, Aiyuk has reported to team headquarters for training camp, and general manager John Lynch shared that the front office and coaching staff expect all players to participate in practice if their health allows.
Kittle detailed how the negotiating process can be brutal in regards to what the front office can think about a player and what they are worth. The tight end hopes his experience offers some comfort for Aiyuk.
“There might be some things that piss you off,” Kittle explained. “They might say something — when anyone is telling you what you’re valued at, it’s a tough conversation. So when you have someone saying, ‘Hey look, they have to say these things, and you just got to work through it, and try not to hold onto too much anger, and forgive and forget at some point.’ ”
Not only is it likely helpful for Aiyuk to hear how his teammate’s extension unfolded but how each person involved can behave. Having experienced negotiating with both Lynch and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe, Kittle can offer insight on how both could act.
“I don’t know if I had much in common with a quarterback going through his contact negotiations trying to get 40-50 million,” Kittle said. “But when you’re in the same ball park — corners, wide receivers, tight ends, somewhere in there, someone who has gone through that and with the same team, same GM, money guy, whatever it is. It’s kind of nice to be able to have that conversation with them.”
There has been no news regarding a future extension for Aiyuk with the 49ers, but his good faith move to attend training camp could set things in motion. No matter what happens, Kittle will be there as a support system for his teammate.
