SANTA CLARA — For the past three weeks, 49ers tight end George Kittle has been a game-time decision while battling back from both a knee and ankle injury.
Coach Kyle Shanahan is known for his honesty in regards to any news coming out of team headquarters.
Why has there been so much uncertainty from Shanahan about if the Pro Bowl tight end will play each week? Because according to his head coach, Kittle is not normal.
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“If he for sure had no chance of playing the last two weeks then I would have said that, but he did,” Shanahan said. “Not many people would have but Kittle did. And this week I think if he was a normal person I’d probably make him doubtful but Kittle is different than most people.
“And as I said he won’t allow me to rule him out too early because he keeps telling me he’s going to surprise me by game day. Got a little bit more time this week and he’s a little bit ahead. I always tell the truth if I can and if I know the answer.”
Kittle approaches everything he does with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. He regularly shares how much he loves the game of football, being around his teammates and how his glass is always half-full. He plays with that joy, even while dealing with injuries.
During most of 2018, Kittle wore special padding to reduce the pain he was experiencing from a rib injury sustained early in the season. Instead of regressing in his sophomore year, he dominated, racking up a record-setting 1,377 receiving yards.
San Francisco 49ers
He also led the league with an average of nearly 10 yards after the catch.
“Watch how he plays and watch how he walks around,” Shanahan said. “I think we are all a little different, but he’s unique. You see it on the field. He has a personality where he goes 100 miles per hour in whatever he does. That’s probably why he’s going to have a WWE career after this but that’s what’s cool. That’s kind of who he is and then you see it on the field.
“Whether he does it perfect or not, he always makes plays with his attitude when the ball is in his hands and it’s just different.”
It’s not just Kittle’s playmaking ability that has been missed during the past two games. He has been restricted to watching games from a luxury suite to keep him from standing for over three hours as well as reducing the potential for injury if a play heads towards the 49ers bench.
His enthusiasm for his teammates when he isn’t on the field is equally as passionate.
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Shanahan and the entire coaching staff at times, have to protect Kittle from himself and his unquenchable desire to be on the field. After his injury in the first half of the Week 9 game in Arizona, Kittle played almost the entire rest of the game before finally relinquishing duties to Ross Dwelley.
“The fact that he did that in a game,” Shanahan said. “Most people would have been out right away and he was able to come back and play in that Arizona game for three quarters with nothing. So you can’t rule Kittle out. He’s earned it.”