From Kittle’s perspective, you can see why he and his camp think basing his contract on the TE market is absurd. The # 7 player on the NFL’s “100 Best Players of 2020” list is more than a TE. He’s the primary target for the 49ers, a YAC machine, a bulldozer blocker, and a squad leader, and he generates 1.21 gigawatts of power for San Francisco.
Lynch mentioned earlier this week that now that the economic proposal between the NFL and NFLPA on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic was largely finalized, he was more optimistic that the sides could strike a deal. Lynch noted that it was a “delicate” contract.
This trick lies in the way each side sees the market.
If the best TE was in the 20s of the WR market, it’s understandable that Kittle wants to be seen more in tune with the multi-faceted player than he is than ranked by position.
Kittle is expected to earn $ 2.13 million in 2020 if the parties cannot close the gap on a new deal. This is a derisory figure compared to its value.
Lynch suggested that even without a new deal, Kittle would show up and continue to be a great teammate.
Silver, however, has suggested that another strategy is at play, which could involve threatening to use the opt-out option if a deal doesn’t come soon.