After playing well for the whole season and during Super Bowl LVIII, tight end George Kittle was sidelined by a core muscle injury. Now, the San Francisco 49ers star got honest about the massive amount of weight he lost
The 49ers selected Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he quickly emerged as a key part of their offense. Despite having to compete with several other tight ends in training camp, he earned the starting role and made his NFL debut in the 2017 season opener, recording 27 receiving yards and five receptions.
Kittle’s breakout came in 2018, when he registered his first 1,000-yard season, made his first Pro Bowl, and was ranked 29th on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list. He followed that up with another 1,000-yard campaign in 2019, playing a vital role in the 49ers’ run to Super Bowl LIV.
Ahead of the 2020 season, the 49ers rewarded Kittle with a lucrative five-year, $75 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid tight end in the league. Over the next three seasons, Kittle continued to thrive, combining for 2,309 receiving yards, 179 receptions, and 19 touchdowns. His dominance, reliability, and team-first approach have cemented his status as one of the premier tight ends in the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers Star George Kittle Gets Real About Weight Loss
After his surgery, Kittle’s body was visibly thinner than before. In an article by Charean Williams for NBC Sports, the 49ers star opened up about the experience.
“I couldn’t lift,” Kittle said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I couldn’t do any upper body because of my shoulder and my rib, and I couldn’t do lower [body] because of my core surgery. . . . I didn’t lift from the Super Bowl until like almost mid-March. I went a month without doing anything. I wasn’t supposed to do anything.”
Kittle, who played at 250 pounds last season, said his “anxiety levels were pretty high” when the self-proclaimed gym rat wasn’t able to lift,” Williams wrote.
Despite battling injuries throughout his seven-year career, Kittle has established himself as one of the NFL’s premier tight ends. The five-time Pro Bowler has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards three times, including in 2023 when he averaged a career-high 15.7 yards per catch and emerged as a favorite target of quarterback Brock Purdy during the 49ers’ playoff run.
There’s still some time between now and the new NFL season’s start. Hopefully by then, Kittles has regained his weight and reconditioned his body to prepare for actual football games.
For More Of My Content
For More Of My Content Follow me on Twitter at @BeatKit22. You may also reach out to me personally at kitguinhawa@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here!
