George Kittle: 49ers will ‘win a lot’ when Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon return

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was the most recent guest on the Pardon My Take podcast. He spent over 20 minutes discussing Kyle Shanahan, his Pro-Bowl-worthy season, the difference between Nick Mullens in meetings and Nick Mullens on the sidelines, his favorite game with the Iowa Hawkeyes, his love for Panda Express, the two strangest questions he received at the combine, and much more.

High expectations were surrounding the Niners entering the season. The team currently sits at 2-8. Much of that had to do with the losses of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon, two starters on offense. Both are expected to be available for the 49ers next season.

Despite the disappointing season, the mood in the locker room remains positive.

"Coach Shanahan does such a great job," Kittle said. "The love and passion he has for the game, it's like a virus. It's infectious. He gets every single person to play for him every single week. It's not hard to play for Coach Shanahan.

"We're always optimistic. We feel like we can win every single game. You kind of have to think like that playing football.

"With Jimmy back and Jet McKinnon back (next year), two key pieces to our offense, we're definitely looking forward to getting some wins, and I feel like we're going to win a lot here."

Kittle also reveals how players can discuss an upcoming game plan with announcers but not give anything away. If any broadcasters out there wonder why Kittle says the same thing about each opposing player, this podcast has the answer.

The whole conversation with Kittle begins at the 34:42 mark. You can listen to the entire episode here or below.