George Kittle is once again a game's highest-graded player. After earning top marks on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Pro Football Focus has graded the San Francisco 49ers tight end as Thursday night's best player in the matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
In fact, Kittle's 93.7 overall grade for the season is the highest among qualifying players in the entire league — offense or defense.
Kittle, by the way, was playing through pain after taking a helmet to the knee area and going down. He was back on the next drive and even got into the end zone after the injury.
Kittle ended up with six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown but was unable to finish the game. He was out of the lineup and observing from the sideline in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also had an impressive night, too. He completed 75.7 percent of his passes for 317 yards with four touchdowns and a passer rating of 136.9.
Garoppolo earned his highest Pro Football Focus grade of the season and the second-highest grade from the game among 49ers players.
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Cardinals.
George Kittle, TE (91.1)
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (85.9)
Laken Tomlinson, OG (80.0)
Emmanuel Sanders, WR (77.7)
Mike Person, OG (74.4)
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.
What's next for Brock Purdy? George Kittle sends clear message on 49ers QB
By David Bonilla
May 22
George Kittle has caught passes from a long list of quarterbacks since the San Francisco 49ers drafted him in 2017—names like Brian Hoyer, Nick Mullens, Jimmy Garoppolo, and now, Brock Purdy. But the All-Pro tight end hopes that Purdy is the last name on that list,...
Where 49ers' Brock Purdy landed in PFF's QB rankings
By David Bonilla
May 20
Debate continues to swirl around where San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy ranks among his NFL peers—even after the 25-year-old agreed to a five-year, $265 million extension that makes him one of the league's highest-paid players. Media pundits remain divided over...
PFF ranks 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk 19th among NFL wide receivers
By David Bonilla
May 21
This week, John Kosko of Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Brock Purdy 11th among all NFL quarterbacks, describing him as a solid starter with flashes of high-end play. Continuing its positional rankings, PFF analyst Trevor Sikkema turned his attention to wide receivers.
Only...
PFF: Christian McCaffrey key to 49ers' 2025 comeback hopes
By David Bonilla
May 22
Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently highlighted 10 returning from injury who could be pivotal during the 2025 NFL season. These players may be crucial to their teams' success. Notably absent from the list was wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, whose impact may not come...