Taylor, with a nudge from Kittle, reprises 49ers return role

SANTA CLARA — George Kittle was persistent. Over the course of a couple of weeks this spring, Kittle kept suggesting to his workout partner, Trent Taylor, he should get in touch with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. After all, Ray-Ray McCloud, who handled the 49ers' return duties for the past two seasons, signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent. The 49ers had a void at the position, and Taylor has proven to be a reliable return man throughout his NFL career. "It started with George, really," Taylor told NBC Sports Bay Area. "He was the one who mentioned (the 49ers) were looking for a new punt returner. He kept getting on to me, 'Dude, just text Kyle.' "I'm like, 'I don't know about that.'" It was a daily occurrence as Kittle and Taylor trained in Nashville during the offseason. Taylor eventually gave in, and he's glad he did. "I finally did it," Taylor said, "And Kyle got right back to me: 'Thanks for texting; I'll get back to you in a few days.'" Three days later, Taylor said he got a call from his agent, who told him the 49ers had sent a contract proposal. Taylor accepted the one-year deal, and he officially returned to where his NFL career began in 2017. "I didn't know...