Nobody loves playing football more than 49ers star tight end George Kittle. So when he signed his record-setting five-year, $75 million contract extension, general manager John Lynch had the perfect comparison for Kittle, one that made NBC Sports' Peter King's Quotes of the Week in his latest Football Morning in America.
“Brett Favre was the guy I probably respected the most because he had so much damn fun playing the game," Lynch said during his media availability after Kittle signed his new deal. "You look over in a tense game and he’s doing the YMCA in the huddle or something. To me, George is reminiscent of that.
"In the midst of intense situations, you see an exuberance with him that’s special. It’s contagious.”
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Kittle hoots and hollers when he makes a huge block, he speaks in Canadian accents in the middle of games and he's friends with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The 26-year-old is the definition of joy on the gridiron.
When Kittle officially signed his extension on Friday, he even channeled his inner Ric Flair with one giant "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
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Lynch played 15 seasons in the NFL. He knows the importance of having a dominant player like Kittle on the roster. And he knows the importance of having a personality like Kittle on a Super Bowl team, too.
San Francisco 49ers
It's clear everyone in the organization can't wait to have Kittle's skills and contagious joy in a 49ers jersey for a very long time.