George Kittle Disputes Rumor He's Seeking To Be Top-Paid NFL TE on New 49ers Contract

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle pushed back against a rumor about his current contract demands.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported Wednesday that Kittle "wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid tight end." She added that he and the Niners "remain apart" in negotiations.

Kittle replied to Russini on social media and said, "Your source is incorrect."

Trey McBride reset the tight end market on four-year, $76 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals. He's averaging nearly $2 million more annually than the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, the next closest player at the position.

As soon as news of McBride's deal broke, one quick assumption was that the price for San Francisco to retain Kittle just went up.

The six-time Pro Bowler will turn 32 in October, and he has battled minor injuries throughout his NFL career. His current deal with the Niners has a five-year term, and signing him for that long again isn't advisable.

Kittle has a compelling case to exceed or, at the very least, match McBride's salary, though. He has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons and continues to be one of the most consistent at the position.

That's why it's a little surprising Kittle publicly refuted Russini's reporting when she said what a lot of people were probably expecting anyway.

Perhaps his issue was with how the NFL insider described his ongoing negotiations with the 49ers or what she cited as the reason behind his absence at voluntary workouts.