One of the challenges that successful teams face in the NFL is figuring out ways to hold onto key players looking for newer and bigger contracts while also staying under the salary cap.
The 49ers are dealing with some of those issues right now. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams have not been practicing at training camp because of contract issues and quarterback Brock Purdy’s going to be up for an extension soon, so there’s been some talk about the coming season being the end of a championship window for the NFC West club.
Tight end George Kittle has been part of the team’s run of success under head coach Kyle Shanahan and said that he remembers people saying the window for the team closed in 2021. That was obviously a premature prediction and Kittle said his focus is on the team they have right now rather than what the future may hold.
“I get asked that all the time, like, ‘You guys, you can’t pay everybody; you have a superstar team,’” Kittle said to Tim Kawakami of TheAthletic.com. “Talk about a window closing and all that type of stuff. And I’m just, like, all I know is that currently, right now, we have a really good roster. And I’m just gonna try to attack it every single day with the really good roster that I have.”
That roster would look its strongest with Aiyuk, who has been the subject of trade conversations and who Kittle thinks would be “a significant loss” if a deal does go through. That’s not going to be the last tough call that the 49ers have to make as they balance the present and future of the organization.