George Kittle wants you to stop trying to send away his quarterback. The San Francisco 49ers tight end always praises Jimmy Garoppolo whenever asked about him. Kittle loves catching passes from Garoppolo and doesn't want to imagine doing so without him.
Kittle had a career year in 2018 when Garoppolo missed much of the season due to an injury. He broke the single-season record for the most receiving yards by a tight end. Of course, San Francisco finished with just four wins that year.
This past season, with Garoppolo at the helm, Kittle and the 49ers enjoyed a surprising — at least, to those outside their locker room — Super Bowl run that came just minutes short of a championship.
Over the offseason, Kittle has had to endure the media trying to replace Garoppolo this year with Tom Brady, or maybe with Kirk Cousins next year. Neither of those scenarios came to fruition, as Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Cousins signed an extension with the Minnesota Vikings.
That's fine with Kittle. It means Garoppolo will remain his quarterback. Now, there has been chatter with some wondering if the 49ers might draft a future replacement.
"It is what it is," Kittle told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Friday. "People talk even when there's nothing else to talk about. It's (signing Brady) nothing that I took seriously. Jimmy G's my quarterback. He's one hell of a quarterback. We don't get to the Super Bowl without him, and so there's no one I'd replace him with.
"I think, what he's done for this team, leadership-wise and on the field, it's one of a kind. There's no one else I'd rather be around to throw me the ball. I'm just excited being able to play football again with Jimmy G, and I know he's ready to sling that rock again."