He is a regional treasure, a transcendent performer whose selfless style of play and relentlessly positive outlook make him as popular in the locker room as he is with the fans who rock his jersey.
George Kittle’s impact on the San Francisco 49ers’ ecosystem is as blatant and emphatic as one of his pancake blocks on the edge, or one of his maniacal charges through opposing secondaries. And as the franchise prepares for a potentially abrupt transition at the sport’s most important position — from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance — the tight end’s energy has never been more essential.
Kittle has a simple rule, one he enunciated quite eloquently Tuesday at Levi’s Stadium, a typically animated chat that ranged from former teammate DeForest Buckner’s Beer Pong prowess to Kittle’s adoption of a diet that is “basically 100% vegan — besides, like, I still eat meat.”
Yes, that’s a lot, but given that Tuesday’s practice marked the official end of training camp and the real games are fast approaching, let’s put a pin in those topics and focus on the basics.
“I have an unfailing belief in all of my teammates, and there is nothing that can shake it,” Kittle declared before adding a caveat: “Don’t be a dickhead, and I’ll have your back.”
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 02: Trey Lance #5 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after throwing a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Levi’s Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images
Fortunately for the Niners and their fans, Lance seems to have avoided the dreaded D-word distinction. This means that, for all his conspicuous regard for Garoppolo as a player and a person, Kittle is not only riding the Trey Train, but he’s also tooting the whistle.
Even as the 22-year-old quarterback tries to figure things out, with every perceived flaw amplified and dissected, Lance can count on Kittle — the locker room’s strongest presence — projecting positivity and solidarity. That’s significant, given that this hyper-talented 49ers team has Super Bowl aspirations and needs its raw but oozing-with-potential quarterback to level up in a hurry.
There have been some choppy moments in practice throughout the summer, with Lance’s accuracy uneven and his success rate on seemingly easy throws less than optimal. Yet, Kittle remains resolutely supportive of the young passer. Any teammates who might be stressed about the state of affairs aren’t reckless enough to show it in the extroverted tight end’s presence.
If anything, given Kittle’s previously stated doctrine, they know he fully expects them to help Lance fight through his growing pains.
“There’s a question mark at quarterback, and that’s a huge position in the NFL,” Kittle said. “But what I’ve seen out of Trey is, he has the ability to make huge plays, he’s got a cannon for an arm and he’s very mobile.
“He’s played two games in the NFL — so, like, he’s figuring it out. There are gonna be ups; there are gonna be some downs. There are gonna be some insane plays; there are gonna be a couple of really bad plays here and there. But the fact is we have guys in position to help him through those situations.”
Kittle is counting on it, for there’s a sense of urgency in the Niners’ locker room that belies Lance’s inexperience. Seven months removed from a painful NFC Championship Game defeat to the rival Rams, Kittle and his teammates aren’t sure how many opportunities they’ll get before age, injury, attrition and salary-cap realities dismantle their core.
The NFL is ephemeral, especially for players such as Kittle, who throws his 6-foot-4, 250-pound frame into the fray with abandon and sometimes pays the price. Since signing his five-year, $75 million contract extension two years ago, Kittle has missed 11 of 33 regular season games with various injuries, prompting speculation in league circles that he might be viewed as expendable as soon as February. It’s possible that if Kittle struggles through a health-challenged season in 2022, the 49ers would try to squeeze him to take less in 2023 — something that could allow them to avoid a “dead money” cap hit — or release him outright.
Whatever the likelihood of those scenarios, Kittle isn’t changing.
“Football’s a violent sport,” he said. “I think there are some instances where you can protect yourself — like, hey, there are two guys running at you and there’s zero yards available, then sure, you can go down or you can get out of bounds. But if I have a one-on-one opportunity, I’m gonna lower my shoulder and I’m gonna try to run through somebody. … It is what it is: I’m gonna still rumble, bumble and tumble, baby.”
In 2020, before landing the contract that still stands atop the tight-end market, Kittle experienced a contentious offseason of negotiations during which he successfully pushed the 49ers to depart from their insistence on the notorious contract provision known as “exercisable option bonuses” — which essentially gave management until April 1 of each year to decide whether to fully guarantee that season’s salary. Kittle’s stated reasoning was that he wanted to be able “to go onto the football field and not have any worries about anything. … I can just go out there and play football and run through someone’s face.”
So, no, he’s not shying away from contact — and he’s not flinching at the prospect of being restructured or released in the future.
“I’m not really concerned with it at all,” he said. “I could give two s—, honestly. If there comes a day when they feel like that, it is what it is, and it’s a business. … I know there’s a right way and a wrong way to play football, and I’m gonna play it the way that I think is right. You’re never gonna be able to question my intent nor my effort on the tape.
San Francisco 49ers player George Kittle (85) practices his catch during training camp at the practice fields at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 09, 2022.
Ethan Swope / The Chronicle
“Whoever it is that wants to do that and give me money, I think somebody will want to do that. Hopefully, it’s the 49ers, because I love being here and I love everything about this organization. I think they’ve built a fantastic team with high-character guys. One thing I’ve learned is you don’t really want dickheads on your team, and we have not had a lot of dickheads, or they’ve gotten rid of dickheads pretty quickly, and I’ve really appreciated that.”
The Niners also have jettisoned some of Kittle’s favorite teammates, including Buckner, the All-Pro defensive tackle who was traded to the Colts less than two months after San Francisco’s Super Bowl LIV defeat. Garoppolo almost certainly will be next; the 49ers are expected to trade or release him before Sept. 10. As much as Kittle loves Garoppolo, he gets it.
“I keep seeing stuff like, ‘George is pissed about Jimmy,’” Kittle said. “It’s a business, man. I understand. People get moved, people get traded, it happens. So, I’m just gonna believe in my team.
“I believe in my f— teammates. I will hype up Jimmy G. And I will hype up Trey Lance. There are gonna be great plays. There are gonna be some bad plays. That’s football. It’s gonna be more highlighted on him because he’s a young quarterback, and I’m OK with that. As long as he comes in and tries to get better every single day and he’s consistent; and as long as he can look in the mirror and be OK with trying to get better and being OK with mistakes, I’ll have his back.”
And right now — for this young quarterback, in this locker room — that means everything.
Michael Silver is a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: mike.silver@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MikeSilver
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