The San Francisco 49ers picked George Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he has been with the team ever since. Since then, the star tight end has solidified his place among the top players in the league at his position and nearly always keeps his team in the running for major honors.
Kittle has been so good for the Niners over the course of his seven seasons that he has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times. In addition, he was chosen an All-Pro in 2019 and 2023.
The seasoned tight end is regarded by many as one of the best players in the NFL right now, but he has struggled with injuries for the majority of his career, and this past season was no different.
Kittle recently acknowledged that he spent up to nine or ten weeks of the previous season playing through a core muscle issue. He added that he needed to have an offseason surgery due to the injury.
Kittle predicted that he would be fully recovered in time for training camp at the time of the surgery, which was performed just after the Super Bowl.
Following his operation, Kittle was asked how long it would take him to recover. He said, “Coming along and progressing as planned. The goal is to return and be prepared for training camp, and all indications suggest that I will be prepared.”
Kittle only missed one game, the Week 18 regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, despite the injury he sustained about the halfway mark of the 2023 regular season.
Kittle led the 49ers to a postseason run in which they were defeated in overtime by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, suggesting that the injury had little to no effect on his production during the postseason.
George Kittle Ready To Help San Francisco 49ers Return To The Super Bowl In 2024
George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers faced disappointment in the Big Game last season, suffering an overtime 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the tight end has provided a direct evaluation of San Francisco’s season goals for 2024: “All set to win. That seems to be the franchise’s current situation. We need to win now.”
Kittle may make a case to be the team’s face at the moment, as he is currently one of the Niners’ longest-serving players. That means he’s in a pole position to comment on the team’s next objective.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t accomplish my goal of winning a Super Bowl last season, but I have another chance to do it this year,” Kittle declared. “I’d love to bet on my team, figuratively speaking, because I have another opportunity with a fantastic football team and great roster.”
Kittle, who had surgery earlier in the offseason and is still not entirely healed, anticipates being able to play and assist his team in getting ready for another season when the 49ers get back together for training camp in two months.
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