There’s a reason why 49ers stars showed up to voluntary offseason workouts this year.
And although star tight end George Kittle did not attend the first few days of Phase One of the team's voluntary activities, he revealed what influenced a rare, yet positive turnout from San Francisco’s key players in Santa Clara back in April.
“We played a lot of seasons going into January, February and all that stuff. So when the season ends, you just want some extra time to get away from everything,” Kittle said on a recent episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.
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SIGN UP HERE “This year, your season ends in January. You have that extra month off. You want to [take a] vacation, take care of your body, whatever that you do. That itch to hang out with the boys and play football comes back a lot quicker.”
George Kittle on the players showing up for spring practices this year compared to past years:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 13, 2025
"Everybody wanted to be back in the building… We usually have like 10-15 guys that wouldn't show up until phase 3 & now everybody was there since phase 1."pic.twitter.com/U6sqxTPuon
Kittle’s absence for the start of Phase One was reportedly contract-related, as the veteran tight end looked to become the highest-paid in the NFL at his position.
A few days later, on April 25, Kittle, who refuted the contract extension reports, showed up for the voluntary workouts. On April 29, the 31-year-old became the NFL's highest-paid tight end after signing a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension.
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While Kittle arrived a bit late, star quarterback Brock Purdy and Co. were in Santa Clara from the very first day.
As Kittle describes it, a short season fueled the player’s hunger to get back onto the field.
“And so, I think everyone just wanted to be back in the building,” Kittle added. “And having everyone there just practicing every day, working out every day, sitting in meetings every day.
“It’s just really fun. You get to build that team chemistry a little. We had like 10, 15 guys that wouldn’t show up until Phase Three, and now everyone was there since Phase One.”
While Kittle’s new contract led the way, San Francisco followed by extending Purdy and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.
But their busy offseason also included the loss of several key players, such as Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Deebo Samuel and others.
Even so, as Kittle noted, the voluntary offseason workouts were a resounding success, highlighting the team’s eagerness and dedication.
“You just build those relationships a lot quicker, get to see guys make plays,” Kittle concluded. “We have a ton of free agents. We have a ton of young guys. There are some openings on our roster, that’s pretty obvious.
“We had a lot of key departures and a lot of opportunities for young guys to step up and take advantage of those opportunities. Seeing those guys kind of make some cool plays in OTAs was kind of fun to see. Hopefully, that carries over to camp.”