During the San Francisco 49ers' decisive victory over the Dallas Cowboys, George Kittle made a statement with his choice of attire. In a bold move, the tight end revealed a custom-made t-shirt underneath his red jersey, bearing the message "F--k Dallas."
It was a nod to former 49ers linebacker Gary Plummer's iconic gesture during the heyday of the bitter rivalry with the Cowboys.
That wardrobe choice could end up costing Kittle $10,927 for a "personal message" uniform violation. However, when asked if he would repeat his actions, Kittle left little doubt regarding his stance.
"One hundred percent," Kittle told Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "I'd do it again."
Kittle has yet to hear from the league but anticipates receiving a letter.
"Probably to get a fine," the tight end said. "I wore a personalized T-shirt, maybe an inappropriate word. So, it is what it is. It was a decision I made. If they want to fine me, they fine me."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about Kittle's undershirt and what he thought of the statement by his tight end.
"Not much," an unconcerned Shanahan told reporters. "Just Kittle, WWE stuff, entertainment. Not really much, just smiled at it."
On the other hand, Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons didn't find the gesture amusing, suggesting that Kittle had taken the rivalry a step too far.
"I just feel like he's making it way more personal than it had to be," Parsons said this week on his podcast. "Kittle's my guy, but I'm going to say this: Laugh now, cry later. We got something for that. Just trust. Just trust. If we see them again, just trust. ... And we gonna put it just like that. I ain't going to put too much on it. You going to make it personal? We can make it personal."
Earlier this week, Kittle had a chance to share what prompted the decision to wear the not-safe-for-work shirt under his jersey.
"I like to find inspiration throughout weeks, throughout the season, because it's a long season and it's a grind sometimes, and just want to find a little juice from other places," Kittle shared on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "And my entire career, every time we play Dallas, I've always seen this Gary Plummer photo of him ripping up the t-shirt for the NFC Championship game.
"And it just hit a little bit different this week when I saw it. And the Niners accounts posted last week after our Thursday night game, like, hey, it's Dallas week."
