George Kittle has set a standard for himself, and with one reception in Week 17, the 49ers tight end could take a big step toward reaching one of his annual goals.
Kittle enters Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders at FedExField with 991 receiving yards, the most of any NFL tight end this season, and with one catch, he’ll likely eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his seven-year NFL career.
In speaking to reporters before practice Thursday, Kittle was asked how meaningful the milestone is to him.
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.
"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 has six touchdowns on the season, leaving him with some work to do in order to hit his annual scoring goal.
The All-Pro tight end has been efficient with his receptions this season, averaging 16 yards per catch — the best mark of his career.
San Francisco 49ers
"I get like 60 catches, so I've just got to get as much YAC as I can with those," Kittle jokingly said.
"Got some more deep balls, it's fun. You get to break away and run a little bit. We have so many mouths to feed on this offense, which is a great problem to have, so when you get that ball in your hands, you just want to do everything you can to run as far as you possibly can."
Kittle will not be the only 49ers offensive player to eclipse 1,000 yards this season. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk leads the team with 1,203 receiving yards, and running back Christian McCaffrey has a career-best 1,395 rushing yards. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a chance to join the club, as he sits at 834 receiving yards with two games remaining.
"It's a cool statistic. And like, I don't sit and look at my stats 24/7, I'm not big into that," Kittle explained. "But it is cool when you're on a team that has a lot of guys playing at a high level, and it's hard to BS your way to 1,000 yards. You have to go out there and put a lot of good stuff on tape, and the fact we have [Aiyuk] who's done it, me and Deebo [Samuel] are pretty close, Christian [McCaffrey's] leading the team in touchdowns with 1,300 yards rushing. We have a lot of guys contributing at high levels."
While Kittle is looking forward to accomplishing one of his annual goals Sunday, it pales in comparison to his and the team's ultimate aim: Winning.