SANTA CLARA — Tight end George Kittle had just caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to help put the 49ers on their way to a win over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night when the stadium scoreboard camera went looking for him.
The camera always looks for Kittle. And vice versa. On cue, Kittle rose from the bench and began exhorting the crowd as well as his teammates. Right behind Kittle was wide receiver Chris Conley, who first smiled broadly and then burst into laughter.
“He was passing the joy and energy on to this team,” Conley said at his locker after the 49ers had held on to a 30-24 win. “He goes out there with that same attitude and positivity every single day. That’s what makes him George. He doesn’t have down days. Even on the days when he’s hurting he has the wherewithal to look himself in the mirror and say, ‘I feel great.’ He passes that feeling along to everyone.”
And why shouldn’t he? After all, it was National Tight Ends Day, which was founded by none other than Kittle. Well, Kittle and former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo suggested it after tight end and teammate Garrett Celek ran over a defender after an 11-yard touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions in 2018 and Kittle was all for it.
It was a sound bite that became a reality, with the NFL getting on board on social media.
So maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that tight ends caught 177 passes and scored 16 touchdowns Sunday. No single day in the NFL has ever had more production from the position.
Other than drawing a holding penalty that wiped out a 19-yard Isaac Guerendo gain in the red zone, things went about as well for Kittle as possible on the day he created.
“I guess it’s a real holiday,” Kittle said when told of the stats while leaving the postgame podium. “Enjoy the holiday.”
Kittle finished with six receptions for 128 yards and the touchdown after being limited all week in practice with a foot sprain. At 31 and in his eighth season, playing with foot sprains, shoulder injuries and countless other injuries have become commonplace for the 49ers’ most popular player.
To linebacker Fred Warner, Kittle’s ability to be at his best regardless of how his body is feeling makes others want to do the same.
“George is the truest form of that,” Warner said. “He’s banged up every week and goes out and balls out.”
“He’s a warrior,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “There’s a lot of guys in this league who wouldn’t play through what he plays through every year. For him to play like the best tight end in the league on National Tight Ends Day when he’s battling things just shows how much of a beast he is.”
Kittle had gains of 43 and 30 yards. He made big plays on the first night the 49ers were without Brandon Aiyuk, done for the year with a torn ACL. Without Jauan Jennings, out with a hip injury. And with Deebo Samuel recovering from pneumonia and departing with a rib injury to go along with an existing wrist injury.
Purdy said his job was to get back to the basics and keep things simple and and had a quick answer when asked if keeping things simple was as basic as getting the ball to Kittle.
“Yes,” Purdy said with a laugh. “He did a great job just doing his job, creating some separation. You get the ball in their hands, five, six yards and they make one guy miss it could be a big gain. And that’s what he does really great. So definitely blessed to have George on my team.”
It's fitting that George Kittle scores on #NationalTightEndsDay 🔥 @gkittle46
— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2024
📺: #DALvsSF on NBC/Peacock
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Kittle has become a pitch-man supreme, hawking eyeglasses, pizzas and beer for various companies. He’s a longtime devotee of professional wrestling and knows how to play to the crowd. Yet Kittle has never fallen victim to becoming an entertainer at the expense of being a football player.
“When I was a rookie I started over a bunch of vets,” Kittle said. “We traded a guy away. That was a reality for me. Nothing’s certain here. If you don’t have an itch in the back of your neck that someone’s coming to take your job every single day, then your job is going to get taken from you. I think about it every single day that I’m going to be my best self every day so there’s no way anyone can take my job.”
Left tackle Trent Williams is onboard with National Tight Ends Day and told Kittle he’s going to look back on it “10 years from now and people will still be celebrating it.”
As the 49ers pulled into their bye week at 4-4, one wonders where they’d be without Kittle. In seven games (he missed one with a hamstring strain), Kittle has 40 receptions for 503 yards and six touchdowns. He has helped keep the offense afloat with the issues at wide receiver, and has always been a punishing blocker.
Williams loves everything about Kittle’s game, as well as the impact he has on everyone else simply by being himself.
“What you’re seeing is him. There’s no façade,” Williams said. “There’s nothing fake about him. He’s playing football and enjoying it like he loves to do.”
Kittle’s production and reputation make him a strong candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and in the meantime he’s chasing the legends of the franchise. With 500 receptions for 6,777 yards and 43 touchdowns, Kittle moved past Dwight Clark in yardage (6,750) into third place behind Jerry Rice (19,247) and Terrell Owens (8,572). In receptions, Kittle is closing in on Clark (506) and Roger Craig (508) with just Rice (1,281) and Owens (592) ahead of him.
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“Any list you’re on with Jerry Rice is a good thing,” Kittle said. “I learned in college you want to leave your jersey in a better place and all those guys did that.”
During pregame introductions, Kittle invited fellow tight ends Eric Saubert, Jake Tonges and Brayden Willis to join him.
“We had four active tight ends for the first time this year so I was really excited about that,” Kittle said. “It’s a holiday, you’re trying to celebrate all tight ends, not just guys that get a lot of targets.”