"You're like 201 days away, but no one's counting," Kittle told a reporter on Wednesday when asked if the team is thinking about the Super Bowl.
General manager John Lynch insists the 49ers have budgeted for the future. Still, looming contracts for pass rusher Nick Bosa and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk have created some salary-cap uncertainty.
"We believe we've budgeted for a lot of things, and we always want to stay aggressive," Lynch said this week. "We want to push the limits, and we have ownership that allows us that opportunity to do it. At some point, there are some realities that have to happen, and we're no different."
With financial challenges on the horizon, many feel the 49ers need to take advantage of this window. The team owns a win-now roster and isn't overspending at quarterback yet. Things can change quickly in the NFL.
"I think that's something that our team is very aware of," Kittle shared. "We have a lot of highly-paid players on this team who have earned that money, and you can only pay so many guys. And we know that some of those guys are at the end of their contracts, the end of the guarantees, and that's when things start to move.
"So yes, we're very aware of that. I don't think it's something that, hey, we have a team meeting, or like, 'Hey, this is it.' But our vet guys, we understand that. It's something we kind of talked about in OTAs. It'll be mentioned throughout training camp. We're aware of that.
"We know that we have a fantastic team. We need to win games. It's on us. It's on our amazing coaching staff. It's on our amazing players. We have to go out there and win."
Kittle understands the NFL is a business. He is among the players the 49ers have invested significant money to keep.
"We have a fantastic football team," Kittle added. "We have a great core of guys at really important positions. We understand that the window, whatever that is, could be closing. We're going to try our best just to keep that window open as long as we possibly can, but we're going to try to sneak out some wins while that window is still open, according to everybody else."
Lynch added, "Everybody plays under the same system, so that's our challenge. [In] 2024, there will be some challenges, but we've prepared for a lot of that and are confident we can make it work and still keep our team very competitive."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
PFF: Why the 49ers' Super Bowl window remains open
The San Francisco 49ers endured significant offseason losses, leaving many fans questioning the team's direction—and whether contending for a championship is still the plan. Key departures have thinned the roster, and the front office appears focused on reducing future... -
Mock draft: 49ers add playmaking tight end to complement George Kittle
The buzz around the San Francisco 49ers potentially using the 11th overall pick on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren has recently cooled. With more pressing needs to address, such as rebuilding the defensive line and upgrading the offensive line, selecting a tight end in the... -
Despite waning time in San Francisco, George Kittle is everything the 49ers aspire to be
The San Francisco 49ers have spent much of the offseason trimming the fat and cleaning house, focusing on becoming much younger, more athletic, and, most importantly, durable heading into the 2025-26 season. It's been a spring that's seen plenty of aging veterans packing their... -
49ers land 'perfect running mate' for Nick Bosa in mock draft
The latest CBS Sports mock draft by Chris Trapasso has the San Francisco 49ers focusing on the defensive side of the ball in the first round. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given the team lost several key contributors this offseason, including pass rusher Leonard...