Tight end George Kittle believes his San Francisco 49ers teammate, running back Christian McCaffrey, is "a weirdo." It's a compliment, really. Not everyone can dedicate so much time and effort to perfect their football skill set as the two All-Pros. They are definitely unique in how they strive to be among the best at their positions.
San Francisco, owning a 3-3 record, acquired McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers via a mid-season trade in 2022. After that, the team went 12-2, including two playoff wins on the way to a trip to the NFC Championship Game.
How does Kittle feel McCaffrey's arrival impacted the 49ers?
"Man, McCaffrey is one of a kind," Kittle said Tuesday on NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "Just being able to be in a locker next to him, being able to block for him, see his mindset every single day in the locker room, on the practice field, how he takes care of his body. He is a professional. Everything he does is to set him up for success on the football field, and you love to be around guys like that.
"You love guys with that mindset. It is infectious. Other guys watch that mindset. They watch how he prepares. They watch how he does his own thing. They watch the time he commits to everything, the film he watches. And so everything he brings to the table is positive for the Niners.
"And it turns out, at the end of the day, he's also funny, and he's a great dude. And so he fits our locker perfectly well. And he's also a weirdo, just like me, which means you're usually a good football player."
We've got @gkittle46 at the breakfast table!
🔘 Are the @49ers still a top contender regardless of the QB under center?
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) June 13, 2023
🔘 First impression of RB Christian McCaffrey
🔘 Does getting married mid-career affect your game? pic.twitter.com/opFeDmzRiz
McCaffrey just got engaged to Olivia Culpo. Kittle proposed to his wife, Claire, during the 2018 offseason, getting married the next year. What advice does the tight end have for McCaffrey—or any football player—looking to tie the knot in the middle of their football career?
Kittle notes that he broke the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end the season after popping the question. Then, in 2019, he earned first-team All-Pro honors.
"So I think marriage is really helpful for anyone if you're starting an NFL career," Kittle said. "And I think all it is, it prioritizes things in your life. You know what you want. You know the things that make you happy.
"And so if you can refine that focus to the things that you love, and that's whether it's your wife, your family, and football, then you're focused on less and less things. Then you can just be great at those few things. And that's what you get paid to do, is play football. Might as well be great at it."
