Both George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk are elite blockers and both get fewer targets on the 49ers than they would on other teams. They each make the same sacrifice.
Ranking the 49ers' superstar playmakers on offense can be difficult because they share the spotlight and make each other better.
Christian McCaffrey clearly is the best playmaker on the offense -- he just won the Offensive Player of the Year Award. But who's the second-best playmaker on the offense? According to Pro Football Focus, it's George Kittle. They recently ranked him the 19th-best player in the NFL, and they ranked Brandon Aiyuk the 49th-best player in the NFL. Quite a large gap between the two."In a different offense, George Kittle would be unquestionably viewed as one of the most devastating players in the game. San Francisco has so many mouths to feed, however, that we only get glimpses of what he could do if he was given a high-volume workload.
Monson's analysis doesn't hold water. Both Kittle and Aiyuk are elite blockers and both get fewer targets on the 49ers than they would on other teams. They each make the same sacrifice. And yet last season, Aiyuk had more catches than Kittle, more yards than Kittle, more yards per catch than Kittle, more yards per route run than Kittle and more touchdowns than Kittle. He simply was better than Kittle.
To be fair, Kittle played the second half of the season with a core muscle injury and a shoulder injury and both required offseason surgery. And he still is the second-best tight end in the NFL. But it's hard to say he's a better player than Aiyuk.Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
49ers' Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle expect Brandon Aiyuk on team in 2024Despite WR Brandon Aiyuk's contract drama, 49ers teammates Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle expect him to be with the team this season.
Read more »
George Kittle Addresses Brandon Aiyuk Contract Dispute With 49ers49ers star tight end George Kittle addressed the ongoing Brand Aiyuk contract dispute.
Read more »
What to Expect from 49ers TE George Kittle in 2024Every season it's easy to predict what George Kittle will do. As long as Kittle takes care of his body, he should be able to maintain his current level of production into his mid-30s.
Read more »
Travis Kelce Believes the Optimal Offense for the 49ers is run Through George KittleChristian McCaffrey is the lead player that the 49ers run their offense through, but it is George Kittle who Travis Kelce believes is the one where the 49ers are at their best when featured.
Read more »
Why 49ers TE George Kittle Lost Nearly 30 Pounds of Muscle in MarchGeorge Kittle's offseason has been intense. First, he learned that he played through a torn core muscle in the second half of the season. Then after the 49ers lost the Super Bowl, he had surgery to repair his core muscle.
Read more »
Pro Football Focus Ranks 49ers TE George Kittle Ahead of Travis KelcePro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 tight ends in the NFL and San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle finished no. 1 ahead of Travis Kelce.
Read more »