How 49ers tight end George Kittle's game has evolved with age

In some ways, George Kittle is slowing down. And in some ways he is having the best season of his career.

This is Kittle’s paradox.

He just turned 31 a few days ago. When Rob Gronkowski was 31 years old, he was a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. He retired at the age of 32. And like Kittle, Gronkowski was an extremely physical player. A great blocker and an incredible runner after the catch. He constantly broke tackles and his style of play shortened his career.

Kittle is trying to extend his career. Why shouldn't he play until he's 35? Travis Kelce just turned 35 and is still making a ton of money. Kittle could earn even more if he stays healthy. But he has to adapt his game.

He doesn’t break many tackles anymore. In fact, he's only broken one so far this season. When he catches the ball, he goes down pretty quickly. So he's not the YAC threat he was when he was younger, which is to be expected. Kelce isn't much of a YAC guy anymore either.

To make up for that, Kittle has become the 49ers' go-to guy in the red zone. He currently has a league-best 5 touchdown catches, which is a big improvement for him. He had six touchdown catches all of last season.

Suddenly, Kittle has become an expert at getting open in tight spaces and making catches while defenders surround him. And it looks like he could play like this for many years to come if he stays healthy.

Don't be surprised if Kittle makes it into the Hall of Fame one day.

Download and follow the Best 49ers Podcast.