Tight end George Kittle values the presence of Brock Purdy in the San Francisco 49ers' huddle. The quarterback has played efficiently, contributing to the team's three consecutive wins following a costly October slump.
Purdy is on track to become the first 49ers quarterback to surpass 4,000 passing yards since Jeff Garcia did so in 2000. In fact, his projected 4,437 yards would set a franchise record.
"I think I can speak for everybody on our offense, we're continually impressed with the things that Brock does all the time," Kittle told Jim Rome on Tuesday. "His consistency every single day, the relationship that he's built with all of our skilled players, all the guys that he gets the ball to, it's pretty amazing. And we all feel that [comfort] with him.
"And he's just got such a knack with the ball. And also, when you have a quarterback that, when he steps into the huddle, and 10 sets of eyes just snap to him and listen to every single word that he says, whether it's the play call, whether it's hey we got to get this one, or whatever it is, he just lifts players up. Our entire offense, he lifts us all up to be playing at a higher level."
The 49ers offense is averaging 386.1 total yards per game this season, ranking third in the NFL. The team is averaging 28.2 points per game, tying with their next opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, for third in the league.
Kittle added, "And when you're lifting up a guy like [T] Trent Williams, [WR] Deebo Samuel, [WR] Brandon Aiyuk, [FB] Kyle Juszczyk, [RB] Christian McCaffrey, and our whole O-line, it's just taking us to a whole other step there. Brock, he is the engine, and it's pretty fun to play with him right now."
49ers-Eagles showdown
Speaking of the 49ers' highly anticipated Week 13 showdown with the Eagles, a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game, players insist it's just the next game on the schedule.
"It's a fantastic football team, a team who doesn't lose," Kittle said of this weekend's opponent. "They find every single way to win. Whether it's overtime, whether it's grimy weather, their players are making plays, and this is going to be our toughest challenge, in my opinion, so far this season, and also probably one of the most hostile environments besides Seattle last week. And it's going to be a fantastic game, and I'm just really looking forward to it."
The 49ers were extremely disappointed about last season's result. The Eagles ousted the Niners from the playoffs, beating Kittle's squad 31-7 after Purdy was injured early in the game.
"I don't really hold on to grudges or anything like that," insists Kittle. "There's not really that many people I don't like. I kind of love everybody. But that doesn't mean that they're not going to get my best shot in a very physical 49ers team."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Kittle below.