Kittle Eyes 1,000 Yards as 49ers Face Washington

Kittle Eyes 1,000 Yards as 49ers Face Washington

George Kittle has set the standard for himself, and one reception in Week 17 could take a big step toward one of his goals this year. Kittle enters Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders at FedExField with 991 yards, the most of any tight end this season, and with one catch he’s likely to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his seven-year NFL career.

Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s practice, Kittle was asked how significant the milestone was to him. Yes. I mean, my goal every year is 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and quot; Kittle said. andquot;That and my goals that I set for myself since my sophomore year, my strict head coach made me do that. And I like the mindset to strive. Is it the most important thing? No, it’s a win.

But it’s a fun box to look at and it sure looks cool. When you have 1,000 yards, it definitely means you contribute a lot to the team.andquot; Kittle has six touchdowns on the season and still has work to do to reach his annual mark. The All-Pro tight end has been efficient in his receptions this season, averaging a career-best 16 yards per catch.

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

get about 60 catches, so I just have to get them as much YAC as I can,andquot; Kittle joked. andquot;I have deeper balls, it’s fun. You have to get off and run a little.

We have so many mouths to feed this offense, which is a big problem, so when you get the ball, you just want to do everything you can to run as much as you can.andquot; Kittle isn’t the only 49ers offensive lineman to rush for 1,000 yards this season.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk leads the team with 1,203 yards, while running back Christian McCaffrey has a career-best 1,395. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a chance to join and has 834 yards through two games. andquot;It and#039;is a great statistic.

And like, I don’t sit 24/7 looking at my stats and I’m not interested in that, andquot; Kittle explained. andquot;But it’s cool when you’re on a team with a lot of guys playing at a high level and it’s hard for you to get past 1,000 yards. You have to go out there and put a lot of good stuff on tape and the fact that we [Brand

in Aiyuk] did that, me and Deebo [Samuel] are pretty close, Christian [McCaffreyand#039;s] leading the team in. touchdowns with 1,300 yards. We have a lot of guys who contribute at a high level.andquot; While Kittle hopes to accomplish one of his annual goals on Sunday, it pales in comparison to his and the team’s ultimate goal: to win.