Star San Francisco tight end George Kittle revealed on a recent podcast appearance that he spent multiple weeks being unable to work out following the 49ers’ crushing Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in February.
Kittle, who typically weighs 250 pounds while standing at 6-foot-4, claims he lost about 30 pounds during the offseason while recovering from multiple injuries.
“I couldn’t lift,” Kittle explained on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast. “I couldn’t do any upper body because of my shoulder and my rib, and I couldn’t do lower [body] because of my core surgery. … I didn’t lift from the Super Bowl until like almost mid-March.
“I went a month without doing anything. I wasn’t supposed to do anything. My anxiety levels were pretty high.”
The 49ers star waited until the offseason to repair a core muscle tear and a fractured rib, while also nursing lingering shoulder and toe injuries.
Through it all, Kittle played in the team’s first 16 regular-season games before he sat out the meaningless final game of the year against the Los Angeles Rams.
Kittle believes the 30-pound weight loss shouldn’t be of much concern going into the regular season since he’s constantly working out.
“It was tough, but I’m feeling great now, which is fantastic,” Kittle added about his recovery process, which began in March. “I’d say I’m almost back to 100 percent.”
Kittle, rated the best running block tight end by far in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, said he is hoping to gain back 10 more pounds by the regular season.
He had a revitalized season in 2023, eclipsing the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time since 2019 as he continues to build a strong connection with quarterback Brock Purdy.
Kittle is known as one of the toughest players in the NFL, with the star tight end said to have played through an Inguinal Groin Sports Hernia during the 2023 season.
The 49ers open the season on “Monday Night Football” at home against the Jets on Sept. 9.
