The Facts: 49ers GM John Lynch made it clear on Thursday that they won’t let star tight end George Kittle leave the Bay Area. Kittle’s four-year rookie contract is set to expire after this season and Kittle has proven he’s one of the best talents at the position in the NFL through his first three seasons. Getting Kittle locked up long-term is going to take a sizable contract and Lynch says the 49ers are prepared to meet that demand, it’s just a matter of finding exactly where the numbers make sense for both sides. “George isn’t going anywhere,” Lynch said. “We’re going to work hard to try to get it done. I think they’ve got motivation just to really reset the tight end market, as do we, for him. It’s just finding that sweet spot, where that is.”

Diehards Line: Kittle has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the 49ers and has caught over 80 passes each of the last two year. As PFT notes, Lynch seems accepting of the notion that Kittle will be the league’s highest-paid tight end with his next contract. Hunter Henry’s franchise tag value of $10.6 million is the highest average value in the league while Austin Hooper’s four-year deal with the Cleveland Browns averages slightly less at $10.5 million but carries $23 million in guaranteed money. So yes, Kittle will be getting his. At some point.