George Kittle Reportedly Skips 49ers Workouts, Purdy Attends amid Contract Rumors

The San Francisco 49ers got both good and bad news on the first day of their voluntary offseason workout program on Tuesday.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, star tight end George Kittle did not attend while he seeks a new contract. On the flip side, despite not having a long-term deal worked out yet, quarterback Brock Purdy did show up for Tuesday's program.

Purdy's situation is interesting because of what his presence with the team could mean.

Speaking to reporters after the 2024 season came to an end, Purdy said his hope would be a long-term deal gets done quickly to potentially avoid any drama.

"If there’s an opportunity to get that done quick, that would be great. Just so we can get back for Phase 1, get after it with the receivers and our team and just continue to grow. Because, man, we’ve all got to grow together. … Phase I of OTAs, in my mind, it’s we come back, get all the guys back and let’s roll. And let’s get after the offseason together."

The Athletic's Michael Silver noted on the latest episode of the Scoop City podcast that Purdy showing up on Tuesday could signal the 25-year-old thinks they are "really, really close" to a deal.

Kittle, who is entering the final year of his current contract, is known to be seeking a new deal. The market for tight ends was reset earlier in the offseason with Trey McBride's four-year, $76 million extension from the Arizona Cardinals.

After previously setting the market on his extension in 2020, Kittle's $15 million average annual salary ranks fourth among all tight ends. He is behind McBride, Travis Kelce ($17.1 million) and T.J. Hockenson ($16.5 million).

Silver noted Kittle and the 49ers are "far apart" in their talks. This is nothing new for the Niners in negotiations with star players. Kittle didn't finalize his current contract until August 2020, one month before the start of the regular season.

Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel requested trades when they were negotiating new deals, only to eventually sign long-term extensions. Nick Bosa's record-breaking extension didn't get done until four days before their first game of the 2023 season.

The situation with Kittle this time around could be complicated by his age. He will turn 32 on Oct. 9 and has had injury issues in his career, but there's no indication that he's slowing down. Kittle led the 49ers in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,106) and touchdown catches (eight) in 15 games last season.

It's worth noting this phase of the offseason program is limited to meetings with coaches, plus strength conditioning and rehab activities. The next key date on the schedule is May 27, when organized team activities begin.

If the 49ers don't have deals done with Purdy or Kittle by that date, then it might be time to start panicking in the Bay Area.