It’s no surprise that fellow NFL tight ends have a soft spot for George Kittle given how good he is at the position.
Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt on Thursday at Radio Row in Las Vegas, Houston Texans tight end Brevin Jordan had plenty of praise for his 49ers brethren. When asked what his favorite aspect of Kittle’s game was, Jordan could not help but gush over how well Kittle plays the position, both as a blocker and as a receiver.
“That dude is a freaking tank,” Jordan said. “Our offense is the same coaching tree, the Shanahan coaching tree, so I understand the terminology and the thoughts behind their offense.
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“And the dude is just, he’s the best tight end in the NFL, he’s the most complete tight end, he has to be able to pass protect, run-block his tail off and then go out and get 100 receiving yards. It’s honestly so fun watching him, I enjoy watching him and Travis Kelce play.
“To be successful at the level that he’s at, you have to be ferocious, you’ve got to just have a tenacity and a motor, that you can’t be denied … he’s a tank.”
Kittle has been one of the key pieces of the 49ers’ explosive offense, both as a critical blocker on running plays and as a lethal receiver in the passing game, producing his third career 1,000-yard receiving season this year. In addition, Kittle has been a leader for the team on the field and in the locker room, becoming known for his humorous speeches.
Since San Francisco selected him in the 2017 NFL Draft, Kittle has amassed five Pro Bowl selections, and made two first-team All-Pro squads.
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The Super Bowl LVIII matchup pits Kittle against his counterpart on the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce, who also is regarded as one of the best tight ends in NFL history for his pass catching exploits.
Kittle and the rest of the 49ers will be looking to get over the hump and defeat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl after losing to them in Super Bowl LIV four years ago.