George Kittle’s connection with Brock Purdy almost was immediate. And now it has led to the 49ers tight end’s first 1,000-yard receiving season since 2019.
Kittle’s second reception Sunday -- an 18-yarder in the second quarter against the Washington Commanders -- put him over 1,000 yards in a season for the third time in his seven-year NFL career. He entered the game needing just 9 yards to make it, and had a 6-yard catch in the first quarter to draw closer to the mark.
After Brandon Aiyuk recorded his second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season in San Francisco's Week 14 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers wide receiver and Kittle now are the franchise's first 1,000-yard-receiving duo in a season since Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice in 1998 (h/t ESPN's Nick Wagoner).
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Kittle revealed Thursday that he strives for 1,000 receiving yards each season.
"Yeah. I mean, my goal every year is 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns," Kittle said. "That's a goal I set for myself ever since my second year. My tight ends coach made me do that. And I love having that mindset, having something to strive for. Is it the most important thing? No, winning is. But it's a fun little box you can check and definitely looks good. If you can have 1,000 yards, it definitely means you're contributing to the team in a big way."
Kittle needs four more TDs to reach his scoring goal, and considering how well he and Purdy work together, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him do that, too. That would leave just a 49ers Super Bowl championship on Kittle’s to-do list this season.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
