The word that keeps coming up when talking about George Kittle's contract situation is "unicorn." Kittle is the rare player who can change a game as a blocker and as a receiver.
Here's your daily reminder that Kittle is a beast with the ball in his hands. The 49ers star led all tight ends and receivers with 20 forced missed tackles last season, per Pro Football Focus. Right behind him was Niners rookie receiver Deebo Samuel with 18.
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Kittle quite literally is part left tackle and part receiver, dominating the game at the line or the open field. He finished last season with a 95.0 grade, the best ever for a tight end in the PFF era (2006-19).
Despite missing two regular-season games last year, Kittle had 85 receptions for 1,053 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Coming into the 2020 season, he ranks No. 5 on PFF's top 50 players in the entire NFL.
[RELATED: Collinsworth believes Kittle needs to be paid in unique way]
And then there's Samuel, who seemed to be the perfect player for Kyle Shanahan's offense as a rookie. The 5-foot-11, 214-pound South Carolina product is dangerous both as a receiver and ball-carrier. Between the regular season and the playoffs, Samuel had 67 receptions for 929 receiving yards, plus 20 carries for 261 rushing yards and six total touchdowns.
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Kittle again will be Jimmy Garoppolo's top target, but Samuel should be San Francisco No. 1 receiver in just his second season. If either one of them gets the ball, it's a nightmare for an opposing defense.
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