Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has put everyone on notice in what's been a stellar inaugural NFL campaign. However, he may have gotten the ultimate stamp of approval courtesy of his positional paragon: George Kittle.
Kittle has been the gold standard for tight ends for nearly a decade with the San Francisco 49ers. He's famously a co-founder of Tight End University, AKA "TEU," along with future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce and retired three-time Pro Bowler Greg Olsen.
In other words, Kittle's words hold tremendous weight when evaluating his peers, specifically when it comes to the next generation of talent. If anyone is qualified to speak on the up-and-comers, it's him; and he notably "thoroughly enjoy[s] watching" Fannin.
49ers' George Kittle shouting out Browns rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. is the ultimate validation
Browns fans have certainly come to enjoy seeing Fannin's emergence as a matchup nightmare, too. He's been among the few bright spots in an otherwise lost year, even earning Kittle's attention.
A recent appearance on The Schultz Report made Kittle's admiration for and infatuation with Fannin abundantly clear. The former's comments may have been the most ringing endorsement of the latter's efforts and bright future yet:
"I'm a huge fan of [Fannin]. I like him. He does the receiving stuff really well, and also, if you watch his run game -- like it's effort -- and if he can just make that a little bit better, I think he's gonna be there. He's gonna be able to play Y as much as he wants. I'm a big fan of him."
Coming out of college, Fannin was touted for his unique pass-catching skills, as we've seen in the pros. Nevertheless, he's made promising strides as a blocker and extension of Cleveland's rushing attack, which is ostensibly what excites Kittle the most.
Fannin developing into a more well-rounded player enables the Browns to keep him on the field. The 2025 third-round pick is earning opportunities to showcase his strong receiving profile by being solid at the line of scrimmage. He's effectively rendered one of the franchise's longest-tenured veterans, David Njoku, obsolete.
San Francisco defeated the Browns in Week 13, though Fannin impressed Kittle along the way. The Bowling Green product scored a touchdown and led Cleveland in both targets (five) and receiving yards (43) while tying for a team-high three catches despite losing a fumble.