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We learned a few things about the San Francisco 49ers from
George Kittle on Friday. The Pro Bowl tight end
joined KNBR and was as entertaining as always.
First off, Kittle actually first injured his ribs last year before the Week 9 contest against the Oakland Raiders. That's just when it finally gave out on him and cracked.
Second, defensive end Kentavius Street is strong. Really strong.
"I've seen him squat like 600 pounds multiple times," Kittle said. "So that's not bad."
Third, rookie defensive end
Nick Bosa's quads probably come in behind Street, said Kittle.
"I need to see him and Saquon (Barkley) next to each other," he added. "They've both got the quads. Bosa looks like a G.I. Joe. After practice in the weight room, I was like, 'What is going on here?' He looks like an action figure. I have to work for it, and he just shows up Day 1 like an action figure right out of the box."
Kittle went on to discuss where the team is following its sixth practice of training camp. He says the 49ers almost have all of the play installs done and he feels optimistic about how things are going so far.
"A lot of plays get thrown at you all the time," Kittle said. "Young guys kind of make mistakes here and there. But I think overall, this is the best start to a camp we've ever had, just in my last three years being here. We've got a lot of guys making plays. We've got a lot of guys that are stepping up, growing up.
"Kendrick Bourne is a guy that just jumps off the page for me. He's made a bunch of plays for us early in camp. That's one thing I really, really like to see. And Trent Taylor's back, which is really, really fun to see because he's cooking dudes left and right, which is awesome."
And about Taylor skipping out on offseason training with Kittle and quarterback C.J. Beathard in Nashville, Tennessee, the tight end explained that the whole reason he was there was because he figured Taylor would be there too.
"I was like, 'Hey, Trent, really the big reason I came down here was because you were down here,'" Kittle said.
How did Taylor respond?
"He was like, 'Yeah, well, that sucks for you,'" Kittle said. "I was like, 'Oh, cool. That's awesome.'"
You can listen to the entire conversation with Kittle below.
Nick Bosa hasn't reached an opposing quarterback yet this season after recording an NFL-leading 18.5 sacks last season. Some of that may be the San Francisco defensive end getting warmed up.
Bosa missed all of training camp and the preseason while holding out for a new contract. He finally returned to the 49ers after a six-week absence and just days before the team's Week 1 matchup. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has recorded two tackles and two assists in two games.
The 49ers enter a short week. They host the New York Giants at Levi's Stadium on Thursday, the team's home opener. Is the 49ers pass rusher worried about the quick turnaround?
"I'm not too concerned about it," Bosa told reporters after the
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has had time to review the film from Sunday's 30-23 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. What is his assessment of his now-highly-compensated defensive end, Nick Bosa?
"I think he's getting back into football shape, getting back into his groove," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday via a conference call. "I thought he got better and stronger throughout the game, similar to last week in that aspect. I thought he finished the game real strong and took a step forward from Pittsburgh."
Bosa earned Pro Football Focus' highest grade
After missing this year's OTA's and Training Camp in a hold out effort for a new contract, San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Defensive End Nick Bosa finally became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, just days before the team's week one matchup against the Pittsburg Steelers. Bosa signed a five-year $170 million extension with the team.
It's easy to say Bosa's slow start in that week one matchup was due to his holdout and lack of football activity with the team this offseason. However, to say that sluggishness carried over into their week two matchup against their division rival Los Angeles Rams isn't entirely true. Far too often players (especially defensive players) are critiqued on stats alone. While stats help players earn end of the year accolades, they don't
The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0 to start off the 2023 season. In 2021, the 49ers won their first two games but then lost their next four. A win Thursday night, in the home opener against the New York Giants, would be the 49ers' first 3-0 start since 2019. That season, the team started out 8-0 before going on to win the NFC West and cruise through the NFC playoffs on their way to a birth in Super Bowl LIV.
I can't seem to remember how that game turned out, though. It's like it's been blocked from my memory.
It doesn't matter, because we've moved on to the current season. And to celebrate the 2-0 start, we've opened up the mailbag to answer those questions burning a hole in your mind. So let's get to it.
Marc, what did ya think of CMC channelling
