Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
George Kittle betting 49ers will be ‘just fine’ when Nick Bosa returns next season
Dec 24, 2020 at 4:17 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Forty San Francisco 49ers players are slated to hit free agency in March. Fans are probably concerned about that massive number considering the toll injuries have taken on the roster this season.
Tight end
George Kittle doesn't seem too concerned. He also doesn't feel the need to campaign to those playing on the final year of their contracts to return. Kittle loves playing for the 49ers and thinks highly of the organization, and feels his teammates see the benefits of playing for Kyle Shanahan's squad.
"I think the free agent guys -- like I said, I'm just trying to play football this Saturday, and I try not to look too much to the future," Kittle told reporters on Thursday. "I think guys understand that, and there definitely have been conversations, but I think the guys that are here understand the type of organization that we have from the top down, the care and the love everyone has for each other.
"It's a top-notch organization. That's why I signed an extra five-year deal to stay here; for a reason. It's the people in the building. I think everybody here understands that."
It sounds like Kittle sees this season as an abnormality. It was a campaign turned upside down by an unprecedented amount of injuries. Kittle feels that one injury, in particular, was especially impactful.
"Yeah, we didn't have the year we wanted to have, but we've got a lot of pieces coming back," Kittle said. "One of my favorite things that I get to say is I get
Nick Bosa next year. That's just really fun for me to say because he's one of my favorite football players ever to watch. I know he's excited to get back, and I'm just going to put my chips in that when Nick Bosa's healthy, we're going to be just fine."
The loss of Bosa significantly impacted the 49ers defense's ability to generate an impactful pass rush this season. Last year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year suffered a torn ACL during Week 2 and has been rehabbing hard in Southern California with the goal of a 2021 return.
It sounds like Kittle believes his return will provide enough of a boost to ensure the 49ers are competitive again.
"Bosa's doing great," Kittle added. "I talk to him every once in a while, a little bit today. I know he's excited. He's living in L.A. with his brother (Joey Bosa), which is pretty fun. I know he's thoroughly enjoying that.
"But I know all he's excited to do is just get back on the football field, and like I said, he's one of my favorite football players I've ever seen play, so I'm pretty excited for that as well."
Added Kittle regarding the impact of losing Bosa: "He's a superstar. He really is. He was a Pro Bowler in his first year. In my opinion, should have been All-Pro. A Defensive Rookie of the Year. Yeah, he's a hell of a football player. It's hard to replace guys like that. He's one of a kind."
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
George Kittle hopes 49ers offense can 'take another step forward'
George Kittle recently spoke with ESPN during the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where he joined other NFL stars for the golfing event. Of course, the conversation shifted toward football, with Laura Rutledge asking Kittle to reflect on the team's 2023 season, its Super Bowl defeat, and the motivation it provides for the upcoming season.
The tight end believes San Francisco maintained a competitive roster this offseason and is gearing up for another run at a championship. He emphasized the importance of maintaining good health and continual improvement for a successful upcoming season.
"Brock Purdy is a fantastic quarterback, and he's only going to get better because he's young," Kittle said. "And we were fortunate enough to be able to keep our entire
Brock Purdy aims to take 'next steps' with 49ers, addresses future contract
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group caught up with Brock Purdy over the weekend as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Levi's Stadium. Today, Purdy and most of his teammates will report to the team for the start of the offseason program, which will be limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation over the next couple of weeks.
While this offseason holds significance for Purdy as he seeks to build upon an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him set a single-season franchise
49ers insider believes team may prefer WR Brandon Aiyuk play on fifth-year option
The San Francisco 49ers don't always do things like other NFL teams do. But they are consistent, for the most part. Seemingly every offseason, especially in recent years, a star player has wanted a new contract. From TE George Kittle and LB Fred Warner to WR Deebo Samuel and Edge Nick Bosa, the 49ers have given new contracts, but they have waited until late July-early August (and in Bosa's case—September) to do so, much to the chagrin of those players, who wanted their new deal sooner rather than later.
It may not have happened as soon as the players wanted it to, but it has happened. Kittle's contract talks reportedly weren't as smooth as he might have hoped, Samuel famously scrubbed his social media accounts of all things 49ers, and Bosa didn't sign until a few days
Ctrl+Z: 4 key decisions 49ers might "undo" if given the chance
No one is perfect. Each of us makes mistakes. I do for sure. Peruse your way through the many articles I've written for 49ers Webzone and you'll see plenty of mistakes. Whether it's a typo or some prediction I offered that didn't go as I had thought.
The San Francisco 49ers are no different. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have made their share of mistakes. Fortunately for all of us, they hit on more than they miss. But I wonder if we were able to catch them in a moment of complete transparency if they might admit to wanting to hit the Ctrl+Z and "undo" some moves.
I doubt they will admit to such mistakes anytime soon, but fear not—I'm here to do it for them. Yes, I could write on the best decisions
