George Kittle heads into 2024 season on brink of completing feat only one other 49ers tight end has achieved

When all is said and done in his career, George Kittle could go down as the best tight end in San Francisco 49ers franchise history.

And, with the 49ers set to step up their preparations for the 2024 season this month with the start of training camp , Kittle heads into his eighth NFL campaign on the brink of doing something only one other San Francisco tight end has done.

Kittle has 37 receiving touchdowns to his name in the regular season, having caught six last season.

It doesn't take a math genius to figure out Kittle only needs three in 2024 to take him to 40, and he will join a very exclusive club if he does so.

Indeed, Vernon Davis is the only other tight end in franchise history to score 40 receiving touchdowns, having scored 55 before he departed in a 2015 trade to the Denver Broncos.

Kittle obviously still has some way to go to match Davis and, now 30 years old, it's debatable whether he will have enough time left in his 49ers career to do so.

But, should he match his tally from last season, Kittle will tie franchise legends John Taylor and Freddie Solomon for the eighth-most receiving touchdowns in 49er history.

Him achieving that feat will hinge largely on Kittle's health.

Kittle was a first-team All-Pro last season after recording the third 1,000-yard campaign of his career and continuing to dominate in the blocking game, re-establishing himself as the gold standard at his position. However, he played the second half of the season and the postseason while battling a core muscle injury that required offseason surgery .

His role and all-action playing style puts Kittle at risk of further injury. Kittle did not practice during OTAs and minicamp following the surgery but, if he can quickly get back to peak football shape in training camp and stay healthy during the season, there's no reason to believe Kittle will miss out on an achievement of which one of the most beloved players on the roster is fully deserving.

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