George Kittle once walked out of a Los Angeles Rams game dubbing SoFi Stadium “Levi’s South.” The San Francisco 49ers tight end’s words both rose as a jab and example of the fierce rivalry.
Kittle and the Niners are expected to be forces in the NFC West again. But same with the Rams, especially after trading for Myles Garrett to kick off June.
The arrival of the perennial All-Pro edge rusher now means this for Kittle: He earns a new, challenging defender to block not once, but twice. This time Kittle and Garrett lock horns two times out of the year moving forward.
“The People’s Tight End,” however, fired off a “challenge” message Tuesday in reacting to the big trade.
What George Kittle Said About Myles Garrett
Kittle appeared on The Rich Eisen Show ahead of his famed annual “Tight End U” event held every summer. His event brings out NFL tight ends from each team for camaraderie, workouts and finding ways to improve their game.
Except Kittle enters the 2026 season with a new thought: How to counter Garrett now that he’s in the NFC West.
“Myles is a fantastic player. He’s a defensive MVP for a reason, broke the sack record for a reason. He’s an amazing football player. It just kind of changes up how you have to play against the Rams,” Kittle began.
George Kittle on What Makes Myles Garrett a Challenge
Kittle and the former Cleveland Browns defender met before. Three times to be exact, including in 2025.
The 49ers weapon caught five passes for 67 yards in the 26-8 romp over Garrett’s Browns back on Nov. 30. Still, Kittle knows all about the threat Garrett presents.
“You make a game plan around him, and make the rest of the team beat you. Just don’t let the best defensive player in the league beat you on every single snap,” Kittle said. “It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
But that “C” word got used for another reason by Kittle.
‘Challenge’ Message George Kittle Threw at Rams, Myles Garrett
The longtime nemesis of the Rams handed Garrett his praise. But he threw a final “challenge” message to his rivals south of him.
“Like I said, he’s incredible. But hey, we’ve got incredible players too, and I love a great challenge,” Kittle said. “It’s going to be really fun.”
Kittle isn’t ducking from Garrett or the Rams. Further fueling this historic NFC West rivalry moving forward.
Last season witnessed three different teams from that division make the playoffs. Three ended up playing during the conference’s divisional round weekend. Yet the rival Seattle Seahawks ended up eliminating both the 49ers and Rams before hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Los Angeles and general manager Les Snead lured Garrett in with the clear intentions of adding one more Super Bowl title inside the Rams’ facility. The franchise is already motivated by hosting this season’s big game inside SoFi Stadium. Kittle and the 49ers more than likely present an early season and potential playoff hurdle to get there. But Kittle versus Garrett rises as one of the top individual battles to watch this fall.
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