NASHVILLE. Tenn., — Over three days, 49ers star George Kittle hosted the fifth annual Tight End University (TEU) in Nashville along with Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Travis Kelce and former NFL great Greg Olsen.
While at the event, Kittle spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area about the state of the 49ers franchise and what it's like to see quarterback Brock Purdy become the highest-paid player in franchise history.
“I love when home-grown guys get paid,” Kittle said. “It’s one of my favorite things. We draft them, [he] played really well for us, we paid him. Because the best way to create memories and create relationships with guys is to go through hard struggles with them on the football field, or to win a lot of football games with them.”
After all, Kittle, a 2017 fifth-round draft pick, knows what it is like to be a “home-grown” player. The All-Pro has notched five All-Pro seasons, six Pro-Bowl nods and four 1,000-yard receiving seasons, two of which were with Purdy under center. Kittle's productivity has earned him two very lucrative extensions.
Kittle has been impressed with Purdy, who is known for being extremely diligent about his preparation tactics. Now, with a higher salary, that quality hasn't changed.
“The same guy,” Kittle said of Purdy. “Probably just more, not even more, he’s just so on it all the time. Seeing the way he preps for every practice, that’s one thing I love seeing. He’s out there as early as he can be just getting his arm loose, getting his whole body, his torso loose so he can go out there and throw. It’s fun to be around him.”
Luke Farrell, who signed a three-year free-agent contract with the 49ers, attended TEU for the first time. The tight end has already worked with his new quarterback during OTAs and minicamp and has enjoyed getting to know the leader of the 49ers offense.
“Really good,” Farrell told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Good dude, nice guy, very calm and just goes about his business. Every day you’re getting the same thing, so it’s great.”
Maybe most importantly for Kittle is the security that Purdy will be under center with him for the long haul. Over the tight end’s eight NFL seasons, he has worked with more than seven different starting quarterbacks. Kittle’s relationship with Purdy has been the most consistent.
“We’ve won a lot of games, we’ve gone through some heartbreak together,” Kittle said. “But that just builds a good bond, and we are going to continue to play with each other for a long time.”
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