In 2023, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle admitted there was a sense of urgency within the team to capture a championship while the Super Bowl window was still open. After a disappointing 6-11 campaign this past season, some might argue that the window has slammed shut. The 49ers have now gone 30 years without claiming their elusive sixth championship.
Kittle joined Mike Florio and Chris Simms on Pro Football Talk Live on Thursday morning in New Orleans, ahead of Super Bowl LIX. While he would have preferred to be preparing for the game, Kittle made it clear that anyone writing off the 49ers in 2025 might be making a mistake.
"I just feel like, at any moment, you could kick a window wide open," Kittle said. "That's how I feel. Sure, you need good players on your team, yeah, but you can find good players anywhere. And when you still have [DE] Nick Bosa under contract, [LB] Fred Warner under contract, [RB] Christian McCaffrey under contract, [LT] Trent Williams, there's still plenty of talent on this roster."
Injuries decimated the 49ers' roster in 2024. McCaffrey played in only four games. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 7. While Warner played all 17 games, he fought through an ankle fracture since Week 4.
"I mean, Brandon Aiyuk, yeah, he tore his ACL, but he'll be back," Kittle noted. "You see guys bounce back from ACLs all the time. It's just a long injury. It's not a serious injury anymore, though.
"So it's just like, the talent's still there. Our coaching staff is still there. We still have all the pieces. It's just, hey, let's stay on the field, run the ball, and don't turn the ball over, and I think that's a recipe for success."
Excited about Saleh's return
One of the 49ers' biggest offseason moves so far was bringing back Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator, a role he held from 2017 to 2020. Defensive stars like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa have already expressed their excitement about his return. Kittle shares that enthusiasm.
"I haven't got a chance to talk to him yet, but I do know that Saleh brings the juice," Kittle said. "And that is one thing I'm really excited about because, the past couple years, when you watch the 49ers defense, you see Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, [LB] Dre Greenlaw, [S Talanoa] Hufanga, you see the energy. It pops on the film. You see them flying around, hitting people. You see that pop. And I think Saleh's gonna bring that back.
"We had a lot of guys down in the defense this year, so you kind of lose that energy, but I think he's gonna bring that back, and I think it's gonna be a great, great, great season for our defense."