Brent Jones knows a thing or two about judging NFL tight ends. He played the position in San Francisco for 11 seasons while winning three Super Bowls and being named to four Pro Bowls along the way.
Jones has loved watching the San Francisco 49ers' third-year tight end, George Kittle, dominate opposing defenses early on in his career. That dominating play was on display Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when Kittle, on 4th-and-2, hauled in a Jimmy Garoppolo-thrown pass and proceeded to force his way upfield for a 39-yard gain, all while dragging New Orleans Saints defenders with him.
.@gkittle46 goes BEAST MODE! #GoNiners #SFvsNO
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— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2019
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The play led to a game-winning field goal by kicker Robbie Gould and lifted the 49ers to an NFC-leading 11-2 record.
Jones is a fan and joined KNBR on Monday to share how impressed he's been with Kittle.
"He was just a beast (on that play), and I was so uptight for that call," Jones said on the "Tolbert, Krueger and Brooks" show. "Fourth-and-2, you never know what you're going to get, and I just felt like the Saints were bringing pressure, and it was great to have a tight end option route. ... When I saw him step out of the tackle, I go, 'OK, he's going,' and he's just a beast. He knew the first guy wasn't going to get him, but to drag the guy 17 yards was awesome.
"Watching George Kittle play is so fun because he's amped up the whole time. You can't keep him calm. He's just amped up. The fact that the (defensive holding on the) face mask was going, and he kept rolling, and you could just see, in his mind, he was thinking ball security. He wasn't letting anybody strip it because he had his one arm out, jamming guys, and it was just a thing of beauty.
"Man, I had so many people texting me. It was so great to see. Just such a great kid, and right now, the best tight end in the NFL. He's playing off the charts.
"Such a thoughtful kid. He's aware. He's solid on his routes. We know he's a good blocker. But his enthusiasm is a game-changer for this offense. When you get him going, something clicks."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Jones below.
