Skip to content

Healthy Kittle ready to 'push rock up the mountain' again

Michael Owens / Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle says it "sucks" to lose two Super Bowls in five years but that he's ready to "push the rock up the mountain again."

"I had my time of being super sad and stuff like that. But let's start working out again. Hit it again. Hey, it's fun. I'm on a good team still. We have another opportunity," Kittle said on the "Bussin' with the Boys" podcast.

"My quarterback is pretty good. We still have Nick Bosa and Fred (Warner) on the other side. We're going to be a good team again. Let's just continue to play well and stay as healthy as we can and get back to the playoffs."

The Niners lost Super Bowl LVIII in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs after posting a 12-5 regular-season record and making it to their third straight NFC title game. San Francisco also played for the Lombardi Trophy during the 2019 campaign but fell to the Chiefs.

Kittle wouldn't say which Super Bowl loss hurt more but added that "both suck in their own way."

The All-Pro tight end also revealed he had to address issues with his ribs, shoulder, and toes during the offseason and underwent core muscle surgery. Despite a laundry list of ailments, Kittle said he's "almost back to 100%."

Kittle continued to be among the top tight ends in 2023, recording 65 receptions for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns to earn his career's fifth Pro Bowl nod.

Fans will be able to follow Kittle's productive season and see behind-the-scenes footage of him and teammate Deebo Samuel in the upcoming Netflix series "Receiver."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox