{"id":78616,"date":"2025-08-16T10:38:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T10:38:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616"},"modified":"2025-08-16T10:38:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T10:38:49","slug":"49ers-george-kittle-receives-surprising-ranking-ahead-of-2025-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616","title":{"rendered":"49ers’ George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Iowa Hawkeyes legend and San Francisco 49ers star tight end has been ranked 31st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025.<\/p>\n

This is surprising as Kittle dropped from No.14 last season to No.31 this season despite coming off a productive campaign.<\/p>\n

Kittle has consistently been one of the best tight ends in the NFL since entering the league. He is coming off a great 2024 season, where he hauled in 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Kittle also had 164 yards after the catch over expected, which was the most by a tight end, and had 551 yards after the catch, which was the second most among tight ends.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnergetic and explosive,\u201d 49ers quarterback Purdy said. \u201cYou get the ball in his hands, man, he can run past guys, break tackles. And he\u2019s funny. On the sideline, he\u2019s asking me for some Toyotas and talking about commercials and stuff, like, mid-game. And I\u2019m like, \u2018Bro, lock in.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Kittle has been the top target for Purdy since he took over as the quarterback for San Francisco.<\/p>\n

While Kittle had a great 2024 campaign, the 49ers missed the postseason. San Francisco will be looking to bounce back in 2025, and they still possess a talented roster as they were in the Super Bowl just two seasons ago.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old has accumulated many accolades during his eight-year career, as he’s been named an All-Pro twice and a Pro Bowler six times.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/canvas>\"49ers'<\/picture><\/figure>\n

Nov 25, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end George Kittle (46) celebrates after a touchdown catch during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images \/ Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

George Kittle’s Hawkeyes Career<\/h3>\n

While Kittle has become a superstar in the NFL, he wasn’t at that level during his time with the Hawkeyes.<\/p>\n

In his freshman season at Iowa, Kittle had five receptions for 108 yards across three games. He followed that up with just one catch for 25 yards in his sophomore campaign.<\/p>\n

Kittle’s numbers improved in his junior season, finishing with 20 receptions for 290 yards and six touchdowns. He put up similar numbers in his senior season, hauling in 22 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns.<\/p>\n

After his four seasons with Iowa, the 49ers drafted Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He immediately showcased his all-around talent as a pass catcher and blocker.<\/p>\n

The Hawkeyes legend remains one of the best players in the league, despite dropping 17 spots on the NFL’s Top 100 list. He will look to be the top weapon for the 49ers once again in 2025.<\/p>\n

MORE: Iowa Hawkeyes Ranked in Top 25 of ESPN Preseason Football Rankings<\/p>\n

MORE: Iowa Hawkeyes Hall of Fame Inductee Shares Recruitment Story<\/p>\n

MORE: Why Hawkeyes Are Struggling To Replace Kaleb Johnson In Fall Camp<\/p>\n

MORE: Former Iowa LB Nick Jackson Among Best Rookies in NFL Preseason Debut with Buccaneers<\/p>\n

MORE: Iowa Hawkeyes Land Trio on Lombardi Award Watch List<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Iowa Hawkeyes legend and San Francisco 49ers star tight end has been ranked 31st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025. This is surprising as Kittle dropped from N<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":78617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n49ers' George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"49ers' George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Iowa Hawkeyes legend and San Francisco 49ers star tight end has been ranked 31st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025. This is surprising as Kittle dropped from N\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-16T10:38:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616\",\"name\":\"49ers' George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-16T10:38:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-16T10:38:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":900},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"49ers’ George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\",\"name\":\"MrThanh\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MrThanh\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"49ers' George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"49ers' George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season - NEWS USA","og_description":"Iowa Hawkeyes legend and San Francisco 49ers star tight end has been ranked 31st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025. This is surprising as Kittle dropped from N","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2025-08-16T10:38:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MrThanh","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MrThanh","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616","name":"49ers' George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-16T10:38:49+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-16T10:38:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/avtvip-95-1.jpg","width":900,"height":900},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78616#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"49ers’ George Kittle Receives Surprising Ranking Ahead of 2025 Season"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec","name":"MrThanh","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MrThanh"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=78616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78618,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78616\/revisions\/78618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/78617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=78616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=78616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}