George Kittle finds it difficult to imagine the San Francisco 49ers without wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has been given permission to seek a trade. The All-Pro tight end recently joined USA Today's Sports Seriously and discussed the possibility of Samuel playing elsewhere in 2025.
"One, you can't really replace Deebo," Kittle said. "I think he's one of the most unique players in the NFL because of what he can do. One, he's the best YAC (yards after catch) guy, besides myself. I will hype myself up. I'm pretty good at that, too. But he's so good when he gets the ball in his hands, and the fact that you can line him up in the slot, out wide, in the backfield, and do all the fun stuff with him.
"And he breaks tackles. He runs like a running back. And he has the burst, he has the speed, he has the agility to get away from guys, too. He's just such a unique player, so I don't think you can really replace him."
Kittle added, "But Deebo's a hell of a football player. I've loved being his teammate. I love sharing the field with him. I love going to war with him. If that is what happens, and he is traded, I'll be very sad."
With Samuel likely on his way out, Kittle acknowledges that some offensive adjustments will be needed to fill the gap. This could open up opportunities for other playmakers like Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall.
There's no guarantee that Aiyuk, recovering from an ACL injury, will be ready for the season opener.
"I would assume he's not going to play Week 1," Kittle said. "I don't really know. That would be awesome if he did. ... But Jauan Jennings has proved that he can play like a number one wide receiver. He had a game with three touchdowns, [175] yards. He can go out there and do it. Just got to game plan for him, give him some opportunities.
"Ricky Pearsall had a game at the end of the year last year, against the Lions, where I think he had [141] yards and a touchdown. So, we have guys that can produce."
Kittle also expects running back Christian McCaffrey to come out with a chip on his shoulder in 2025 after missing most of last season due to injuries.
"I'm assuming he's going to come back kind of angry because he missed last year, most of it," Kittle shared. "So, I think we're going to get the best version of Christian McCaffrey. When you have a guy like Christian in the backfield, who can run all the routes and is still great in the run game, it opens everything up for our wide receivers. It opens everything up for me, too.
"And so, when it's that combination, and with Coach Shanahan scheming it up, I think it's going to be a great recipe for success."