“If you built a prototypical edge defender in a lab, he’d probably look something like Mykel Williams,” Kyle Crabbs of 33rd Team pointed out, mesmerized by the rookie defensive end’s 6’5”, 260-pound frame that swallowed double teams. Williams’ long arms and explosive first step turned blockers into bystanders, which made it almost comical when a tight end tried standing him up.
So when George Kittle interacted with the rookie defensive end, he straight-up told him that it was “disrespectful” for tight ends even to try. But it’s the NFL. The job’s not going to be easy for Williams when he finds Kittle in Coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside zone scheme as a blocker. And coming to this training camp, the DE might have to learn that the hard way. Why? Recently, Kittle had a chat with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship, where he expressed his excitement to block Williams in training camp.
“I get to run outside zone against Mykel Williams, and so that’s going to be really fun because he was telling me how he thinks it’s disrespectful for tight ends to block him,” he said. “And I was like, welcome to the NFL, baby. You’re going to see something different on these practices, I promise you that.” That’s an ultimatum—all in good fun, of course.
George Kittle talking about how he is excited to block Mykel Williams in practice and training with Purdy the past few weeks: #FTTB | : @NBCS49ers – @MaioccoNBCS | h/t: @Coach_Yac pic.twitter.com/f2JITvJfqo
— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) July 11, 2025
Entering the ninth season of his career with the 49ers, George Kittle definitely knows a thing or two about Shanahan’s outside zone scheme as a blocker. After all, his 84.5 PFF run block grade is the best for any tight end in the NFL over the last seven seasons. After the first half of the 2024 season, when the tight end is on the field for outside-zone runs, the 49ers averaged 5.0 yards per carry and scored all three of their rushing touchdowns. With him off the field, those numbers drop automatically to 3.8 yards per carry, with no touchdowns.
The tight end doesn’t merely occupy space in the 49ers’ outside zone runs—he engineers leverage with ruthless precision. He begins each rep by executing a trey or combo block: first, he blocks onto the defender alongside the tackle, often targeting a 5-technique defensive end. Then comes the signature move—an explosive outside-hand punch driven straight into the defender’s armpit, instantly destabilizing their base. As Kittle rotates his hips and powers his legs, he lifts and turns the opponent within three decisive steps. And Voilà.
“If your tight end can’t block the outside defensive ends, it’s extremely hard to run outside zone,” the head coach explained. “And Kittle can do that whether they’re head up on him, which we call six-technique, or if they can do that with their head up outside on him, which we call a nine-technique. That’s very rare.”
The 31-year-old is an all-around talent as a blocker and pass-catcher, and so is the rookie Williams. And the way things are unfolding, the rookie will learn quickly how the Niners’ outside zone is different. Meanwhile, the 2025 regular season is approaching, and the veteran TE just shed light on what his retirement plans look like.
George Kittle is in the NFL until he looks like a carp out there
George Kittle entered the NFL as an unheralded fifth-round pick, arriving without fanfare. By the end of his rookie campaign, he quietly stacked up 515 receiving yards, foreshadowing what came next: a record-shattering 1,377 yards in his second season—the highest ever by a tight end at the time. Since then, he’s eclipsed 1,000 yards in four separate seasons, amassed over 7,000 career receiving yards, and hauled in nearly 550 receptions.
With six Pro Bowl and five All-Pro nods, Kittle is arguably one of the most dynamic and complete tight ends of his era. Then $76.4 million deal, with $40 million guaranteed, came along, locking him through 2029. And the 31-year-old became the highest-paid TE in the NFL. Yet, even with that massive deal in hand, the retirement bells are ringing. Not now, of course. But one day, for sure, as his ninth season in the NFL is at the doorstep.
Kittle recently appeared on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast, where he discussed his exit criteria with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. “Oh, literally until I’m not having fun anymore. Till the wheels fall off,” he said, expressing his dedication to the game. He added a layer to it, stating, “Or if Claire looks at me one day and goes, ‘You kind of look like crap out there… you should probably retire.’ That might do it.”
And he never stopped as the third scenario came along. Age concerns. “Or, I don’t know… maybe if I get to, like, 35 and it starts hurting just to put on pants in the morning, I’ll probably go, ‘Okay, this isn’t fun anymore,’ and have a real talk with myself,” he added. Kittle will turn 32 in October, and he’s still under contract through the 2029 season with the 49ers. But one thing’s for sure: the tight end will show up every day, until he feels that it’s time to finally call it a career.
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