49ers expect George Kittle to report on time while working on contract

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All-Pro tight end George Kittle is expected to report to 49ers training camp Tuesday for the first round of COVID-19 testing as the sides continue to work on a long-term contract extension, general manager John Lynch said on KNBR.

“George is a pro, and he’s planning on coming and we’re going to continue to work,” Lynch said on the Murph & Mac Show. “That’s our job, to get that done. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t, so we’re working towards that.

“I can tell you we’re working in earnest because it’s very important to us, and the good news is it’s very important to them that we agree because he loves being a 49er.”

Kittle is entering the final year of his original four-year contract as a fifth-round draft pick in 2017.

Kittle’s next contract is expected to make him the highest-paid tight end in the league -- by a large margin. Currently, Cleveland’s Austin Hooper is the highest-paid tight end on a multi-year deal at $10.5 million annually.

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Lynch said he has remained in close contact with Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, and the 49ers’ coaching staff communicates regularly with Kittle. Lynch put no timetable on completion of a new deal for Kittle, though he said there is more clarity now on the financial issues that teams will face in the coming years.

The NFL and NFLPA recently agreed the 2021 salary cap that will drop no lower than $175 million per team. The 2020 cap is set at $198.2 million, and Lynch said teams were told before the pandemic to expect next year’s cap to be in the range of $215 million to $220 million.

“We were waiting for some of that certainly to guide us and how we structure a deal,” Lynch said. “Now we have that information. ... We’ve traded ideas and things.”

Kittle is the only tight end in 49ers history to register a 1,000-yard receiving season. After setting the NFL single-season record for a tight end with 1,377 yards in 2018, Kittle caught 85 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games. He is also a major part of the run game with his blocking skills.

Kittle recently told NBC Sports Bay Area he considers his role as a leader on the team when determining whether it was wise for him to report to training camp this summer without a new contract.

“Being a captain, I want to be there for my team and I need to show the right leadership skills,” Kittle said.

[RELATEDGM Lynch hints he is near contract extension with 49ers]

Kittle is scheduled to earn $2.133 million this season after making $1.96 million combined over his first three seasons. Lynch said he was optimistic the sides could work together to arrive at a solution.

“We’re hopeful,” Lynch said. “We’re going to work extremely hard. George is such a great fit for what we do. He’s a tremendous player. (I’m) sitting here looking at the vision statement for what we want in a player, and George checks every box. He’s tremendous. He’s what we want to be. So I think it would be silly not to figure that out, so we’re going to do our best to do just that.”

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