Some of the top tight ends in the NFL are hosting a three-day summit for other players at the position in hopes of perfecting their craft.
Talked us into it.
Wednesday was the first day of the inaugural Tight End University held in Nashville, Tenn. with 49ers tight end George Kittle, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen leading the way. It’s a three-day affair focused on technique, film study, on-field drills, rehab and recovery, according to the 49ers' website.
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"My goal is to bring all these guys together," Kittle told 49ers.com. "Tight end is a position where you have to run block, pass pro, run routes, catch the ball, run routes on DBs, you have to get to the second level on linebackers, run routes against safeties -- like, you kind of have to do everything. So why not bring all the world's best to one location and then learn from each other."
Kelce spoke during the first night and, as you can see, he was absolutely pumped to be there:
Other position groups have hosted this kind of summit before, which is where the idea ultimately stemmed from. Philadelphia Eagles tackle Lane Johnson hosts the Masterminds Summit for offensive linemen each year.
More than 40 NFL tight ends attended the first-ever Tight End University, including 15-year veteran Marcedes Lewis. Other 49ers tight ends Ross Dwelley and Charlier Woerner showed up as well.
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Kittle said when one tight end succeeds, they’re all succeeding.
“Everyone gets to benefit off of each other, whether that's from guys playing well and getting contracts so the tight end position gets paid more,” he said.
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Kittle signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension through the 2025 season in August, making him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.
Perhaps the continuation of these summits will mean more of these tight ends will get paid the money they deserve. Either way, it’s a good trend to start for a position that doesn’t get enough appreciation.