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George Kittle had a memorable season for the San Francisco 49ers. Clinching his third 1,000-yard season helped him become a First Team All-Pro member. The Niners also made it to Super Bowl 58 after losing the previous season’s NFC Championship Game.
While the former Iowa standout is a fun-loving guy, playing it cool early in the contest might have cost them the game. Texan Live broadcaster Chase Snyder shared the NFL Films’ Turning Point video featuring Kittle and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis.
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The All-Pro tight end said “Hi George!” to Karlaftis after battling near the line of scrimmage. But while Kittle played loose, Karlaftis recovered the ball that Christian McCaffrey fumbled. This video had one football fan commenting:
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“That’s why Travis is the better TE”
Another viewer said:
“Might want to stop being a clown while George stays alert to recover the fumble.”
Here are other reactions to George Kittle’s antics during their opening drive in Super Bowl 58.
The last comment refers to George Kittle’s statement after he and the 49ers lost Super Bowl 54 to the Chiefs. They missed another opportunity to add a Lombardi Trophy to their collection despite having a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead.
Meanwhile, it’s uncertain if Kittle was well-mannered enough to say “hi” to Karlaftis or was trying to get into the defensive end’s head. Regardless of his intention, allowing Karlaftis to retrieve the ball first isn’t a good look for him.
Had Kittle recovered that ball, the Niners would've faced second down at the Chiefs’ 27-yard line. The least they could've gotten is a field goal, but they had the talent to cross the goal line for a touchdown. Crossing the goal line in their opening drive could've translated into a different outcome for San Francisco.
Travis Kelce had the last laugh over George Kittle
While Kittle had better numbers than Kelce during the regular season, the Chiefs tight end earned his third Super Bowl title in five seasons. Two of those instances were at the 49ers’ expense.
Worst yet, Travis Kelce performed way better in the playoffs than George Kittle. Ironically, Kittle started strong with four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in the Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers.
Since then, he had two catches for 27 yards against the Detroit Lions and two for four yards in Super Bowl 58.
Conversely, Kelce broke Jerry Rice’s record for career postseason receptions with 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship Game versus the Baltimore Ravens. Two weeks later, he led the Chiefs with nine catches for 93 yards en route to hoisting the franchise’s fourth Lombardi Trophy.
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