Claire Kittle didn’t stop recording when her husband, George Kittle of the 49ers, suffered a torn Achilles tendon during San Francisco’s 23-19 win in the wild-card game against Philadelphia on Sunday night.
In a digital series capturing her and Kristin Juszczyk’s game-day experiences, Claire repeatedly urged George to “stand up” after a play where he was knocked off balance and then had his leg grabbed during the second quarter.
“Damn it!” she exclaimed from her suite at Lincoln Financial Field, her focus glued to the field. “Oh my god.”
Kristin, wife of fullback Kyle Juszczyk, jokingly asked, “Is this grass or grass?” to which someone responded, “Grass.” She then comforted Claire, expressing her sympathy for George’s injury.
“It’s really messed up,” Claire remarked. “What? A year? For recovery? That includes next year too, hmm.
“It makes no sense at all.”
George, 32, was helped off the field, noticeably limping, and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Claire stayed in the locker room with him until the game concluded. Upon request, George brought a bottle of tequila into the locker room.
“I don’t feel very good,” Claire admitted. “It’s heartbreaking to think while watching George in pain. It’s truly the worst. We care for George like family.”
“It’s not about the game. Watching someone you love suffer is tough. Tears come to my eyes just talking about it. I want us to win this for George.”
During the second half, Kristin FaceTimed Claire while sitting with Olivia Culpo, Christian McCaffrey’s wife.
“Come on, Christian and Juice! You guys are wild,” Claire said.
Christine and Claire spoke about their injuries in the episode’s conclusion.
“It doesn’t look good,” Claire reflected. “It really sucks. I’ll be skeptical until he gets an MRI. He’s okay; he’s the same happy person, celebrating with everyone. I was thrilled. He’ll come back stronger… He’s amazing, one of a kind.”
As they took the bus to their private plane, Claire and George shared a kiss, both wearing boots on their injured ankles.
“See you next year,” he said as he boarded the plane on crutches.
On Thursday, Claire posted a snippet from the episode on Instagram, saying, “It was such a moving moment that I want to rewatch it.”
Looking ahead, the 49ers are set to compete against the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game.
