San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was noticeably absent Tuesday when the team opened the voluntary portion of their offseason program.
With Kittle and the 49ers in the midst of contract negotiations, there was reason to believe his absence may be related to those talks.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Wednesday reported that Kittle didn’t show up because of his contract situation. She also reported Kittle wants to be the highest-paid TE in the NFL, and that Kittle and the 49ers remain far apart in contract talks.
Kittle took to Twitter to refute the report.
“Your source is incorrect,” Kittle wrote.
It’s not immediately clear which portion of the report he’s referring to, or if he means the entire report about his contract situation.
Kittle is entering the final year of his current deal at Age 31, but he’s coming off an All-Pro season where he once again looked like the best tight end in the NFL. It would make sense if he’s looking for compensation in line with that performance, but it would also make sense if the 49ers are wary of shelling out big-time money to a player who turns 32 in October and plays one of the most violent brands of football in the league.
The key for the 49ers will be getting whatever issues there are with Kittle ironed out before camp. If the contract talks mean he skips the mandatory portion of the offseason program, they can work around it. Another training camp with a disgruntled star dealing with a contract issue isn’t what the 49ers need.