Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
49ers’ George Kittle discusses playing through a rib injury last season
Apr 17, 2019 at 5:22 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle is coming off of his first Pro Bowl season. The third-year player (then in his second year) cemented himself as one of the best at his position after setting a single-season NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end.
Kittle finished 2018 with 88 receptions for 1,377 yards with five touchdowns.
It was
revealed in January that Kittle played through an injury for much of the 2018 season, which makes his accomplishment even more impressive. He suffered fractured rib cartilage during the 49ers' Week 9 victory over the Oakland Raiders at Levi's Stadium and wore rib protectors for the remainder of the season.
"That doesn't feel very good," Kittle said on Wednesday when asked about the injury. "I wore two rib protectors for the rest of the season. But it was fun, I guess. I don't know. It's just something you play with."
Kittle ended the game against the Raiders with four receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. Fans might remember his impressive one-handed catch-and-run after returning from the injury, which he sustained early in the first quarter.
"I fully expected that to hurt a lot worse than it did," Kittle said. "I thought the safety was going to smoke me. Luckily, he didn't. It was nice."
Kittle dealt with the injury the best he could, but there were instances during the second half of the season where some hits served as a harsh reminder of how hurt he was.
"The Giants game got me a couple of times," Kittle said. "Tampa got me a couple of times. Then after that, it was decently healed enough, so it didn't hurt that bad."
Kittle is used to playing through injury. His rookie campaign was riddled with them. Kittle suffered hamstring, calf, hip, chest, back, elbow, and ankle injuries in 2017.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
George Kittle hopes 49ers offense can 'take another step forward'
George Kittle recently spoke with ESPN during the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where he joined other NFL stars for the golfing event. Of course, the conversation shifted toward football, with Laura Rutledge asking Kittle to reflect on the team's 2023 season, its Super Bowl defeat, and the motivation it provides for the upcoming season.
The tight end believes San Francisco maintained a competitive roster this offseason and is gearing up for another run at a championship. He emphasized the importance of maintaining good health and continual improvement for a successful upcoming season.
"Brock Purdy is a fantastic quarterback, and he's only going to get better because he's young," Kittle said. "And we were fortunate enough to be able to keep our entire
Jeff Garcia praises Brock Purdy, discusses 49ers QB's growth potential
Jeff Garcia has been impressed by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in his two seasons with the team. As the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy was thrust into the spotlight after the 49ers faced quarterback injuries and proved his NFL mettle.
While some doubts lingered after his rookie season, Purdy's resilience shone through. Despite starting only five regular-season games, he guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, where, unfortunately, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. Garcia was among those who wondered whether Purdy could maintain his success into his second season.
Last year, coming off surgery, Purdy set a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards. His impressive performance
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
