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‘The dude’s a wizard’: 49ers TE George Kittle shares an example of Kyle Shanahan’s genius
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You might remember this viral clip from January of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan
seemingly predicting the future against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. With 5:56 left in the fourth quarter, cameras captured the coach talking to an official before the ball is snapped. He explained what was going to happen and to keep an eye out for a potential penalty by the Packers defensive back, who was going against tight end
George Kittle.
"[Kittle's] going to go inside and break out," Shanahan told the official. "[Will Redmond] won't let him out, watch."
Everything played out exactly how Shanahan predicted, and pass interference was called on Redmond — a former 49ers draft pick.
Kittle was recently asked on the
Pardon My Take podcast about that particular play and if he remembers it.
"He said that (would happen) when he installed the play on Thursday for a third-down play," Kittle explained. "He goes, 'Look, when we're in this formation, and this guy covers you, he always holds. So just push him inside and break out. He's going to hold you.' And I was like, 'Alright, sounds good.'
"And then it happens. Like I said, the dude's a wizard. It's pretty fun to play for him."
Shanahan is widely considered one of the best minds in football, and that play is just further proof of the Niner coach's genius.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Kittle below. It begins at about the 22-minute mark.
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