The Hall of Fame Awaits: Kittle’s Next Chapter: 49ers’ TE Poised to Take Final Step Towards…
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle isn’t a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as his eighth NFL season comes to a close.
However, a strong finish to the 2024 campaign would help Kittle refine a career resumé that has him on track to wind up in Canton once he hangs up his pads.
Entering Week 16, Kittle needs only 45 receiving yards to eclipse New England Patriots legend and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski for the second-most receiving yards all time for a tight end in his first eight seasons. Kittle has 7,135 receiving yards as the 49ers journey to Miami for their Week 16 bout. Gronkowski posted 7,179 in his first eight years. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is first on the list with a whopping 7,881 receiving yards.
It’s not just the first eight years that have been impressive for Kittle, however. He’s also moving up the all-time NFL ranks among tight ends in career marks.
He’s on pace to finish 2024 with 1,077 receiving yards, giving him 7,351 for his career. That would put him at No. 12 all-time in receiving yards among tight ends with a real chance to enter the top-10 in the 2025 season.
Kittle is also No. 17 in receptions – which is where he’s on pace to finish the season. He needs just one touchdown in the final three contests to take sole possession of No. 13 all-time in receiving TDs by a tight end.
The biggest key for Kittle’s Hall of Fame candidacy will be longevity. After a dip in production from 2020 through 2022, he’s had a career revitalization with quarterback Brock Purdy under center and suddenly he looks like a player who could maintain high-end production for the foreseeable future.
