George Kittle: 49ers have "lofty expectations" for 2025
The 49ers overhauled their roster this offseason, something General Manager John Lynch called it a 'little uneasy' but necessary. The changes haven't changed the team's outlook.
They still expect to contend.
'I would say we have pretty lofty expectations,' 49ers tight end George Kittle told CBS Sports, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. 'We always do. We understand that we lost some really key players. I'm aware of that. [Safety Talanoa] Hufanga, [linebacker] Dre Greenlaw, [defensive tackle Javon] Hargrave, [cornerback] Charvarius WArd, one of my favorite teammates I've had, [wide receiver] Deebo [Samuel], one of my favorite teammates, [offensive guard] Aaron Banks went to Green Bay.
'We lost some guys, and that is obvious. We're aware of that. But I feel like, in the way we signed guys in free agency, the way that we drafted, we targeted those holes that we lost. I'm not going to say we're going to replace All-Pro players, Pro Bowl players immediately, but I think we drafted really, really well.'
Kittle pointed to the fact that nearly every player participated in the voluntary offseason program as the 49ers try to bounce back after last season's 6-11 finish.
'I think what our goal is—is our offense needs to play at a really high level,' Kittle said. 'We brought back basically everybody [on offense], which is pretty fun. And when you have [running back] Christian McCaffrey, [quarterback] Brock Purdy, [left tackle] Trent Williams, it makes me pretty excited to play football; I will say that. You can throw me in there, too, with [fullback] Kyle Juszczyk. We're decent as well.'
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