San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle struggled to stay on the field last season. Due to several injuries, the seven-time Pro Bowler was limited to just 11 games during the regular season. A torn right Achilles tendon during the 49ers' wild-card win against the Philadelphia Eagles officially put an end to his year.
Despite the injuries piling up, the 32-year-old has made it clear he is not contemplating retirement, saying "I know I got a lot of miles left in the tank" during an appearance on the "Ross Tucker Podcast." He is still under contract through the 2029 season after signing a four-year, 76.4 million extension.
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However, that doesn't mean San Francisco can't move on from Kittle sooner. CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson predicts that the 49ers will select Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 27 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"The 49ers could trade out of this pick, but if Sadiq falls into their laps, he'd be hard to pass up," Wilson wrote. "The Oregon TE could go 10 picks higher than this, but the way the board fell, he gets pushed to the bottom of Round 1."
After three seasons with the Ducks, Sadiq put together his best performance. In 14 games, he hit career highs in receptions (51), yards (560) and touchdowns (eight). His efforts on the field earned him second-team honors as an AP All-American.
He's viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper lists Sadiq as the No. 1 tight end and the No. 15 player available. Landing him at the 27th pick could be considered great value for the 49ers.
Bringing in Sadiq gives quarterback Brock Purdy a new target and alleviates some pressure off of Kittle. He will also be 35 years old and on the back end of his career, going into the final year of his deal. If the 49ers choose to move on from Kittle earlier than that, Sadiq can already be in place as the long-term successor.
