George Kittle Out for NFC Divisional Round Against Seahawks
George Kittle won’t be playing when the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC divisional round.
The well-known tight end, a seven-time Pro Bowler, was injured during the second quarter of last Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Following an evaluation, he was diagnosed with an Achilles tendon injury.
Despite Kittle’s setback, the 49ers managed to secure an unexpected victory over the reigning champion Eagles. His wife, Claire, shared an emotional message afterward, conveying both her heartbreak and hope for his recovery.
She posted, “All I felt was disbelief and silence as I screamed, ‘Get up, get up, get up,’ over and over again. He always gets up. He’s George. He can do anything. Just do it. It hurts. There’s no preparation. I love this man with everything in me. He’s the unicorn of this world and he’ll come back stronger and better than ever.”
Claire also expressed pride in the team’s collective resilience, writing, “The heart of a heartbroken athlete is hard. He’s an (expletive) character, and so is this entire team. I’m so proud of them and the collective spirit they fight for every week. This is a special year and you can feel it, but we’re not done yet. Love you, G, and thank you for carrying some of this pain for us.”
In response, Kittle acknowledged Claire’s post with gratitude, saying, “You’ve been the best teammate on this journey.”
Teammate Kyle Juszczyk’s wife, Kristin, also added, “Forever proud to be a part of this team! 85 years!!”
This season has been challenging for Kittle; he faced injuries that limited him to just 11 games. Nonetheless, he racked up 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. As they prepare for the playoff game, the 49ers will also be without key defensive players Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Pro Bowl offensive lineman Trent Williams shared that enduring these injuries throughout the season has made the team stronger.
“I think that makes us stronger for things like this,” Williams remarked. “Kittle went down in the first half. If we didn’t have that experience, everyone could have easily folded, and no one would have blamed us. You’d say, ‘Hey, they don’t have this player, they don’t have that player, they’re probably going to lose.’
