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George Kittle monster deal with 49ers shows Raiders were smart to lock up Darren Waller

There is pretty much a consensus top-five tight ends in the NFL right now. They are Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller, Zach Ertz, and Rob Gronkowski.

The only one of those tight ends who isn’t among the top paid at his position was George Kittle. Emphasis on the word *was* because today Kittle just became the league’s highest-paid tight end on a monster five-year deal with the 49ers.

That’s a deal worth $15 million a year, about $5 million more than the previous highest-paid tight ends in Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper.

Henry and Hooper both were made the highest-paid tight ends in the league this offseason, surpassing Travis Kelce.

These contracts are like a tide that raises all boats. Especially one that jumps the highest-paid by 50 percent.

But before any of what are now the top three tight end contracts were signed this offseason, the Raiders knew the talent they have in Darren Waller and signed him to a four-year extension that pays him an average of $7.5 million per season — HALF the per season deal Kittle just signed.

Basically, they got a surefire top-five NFL tight end whose contract is already tenth in the league at his position.

Yeah, he’s got to go out and prove he can keep up that level of play, while some of the others have done it for longer periods of time. There’s also no guaranteed money on his contract after next season. They have to remedy that part at that time.