George Kittle brought a cheerful twist to the brutal end to San Francisco’s season.
The 49ers star tight end serenaded NFL Honors attendees on Thursday night in Phoenix with a song about the 49ers’ seasons — making for some grimaces in the crowd. Kittle was encouraged by Kelly Clarkson — the first female host in history — as he expressed his appreciation of the efforts from teammates Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Nick Bosa in the beating the 49ers took from the Super Bowl Bound Eagles in an injury-ridden NFC Championship game.
“Yes, our season’s over. And yes, that last game blew. But Brock you should still feel proud. We wouldn’t be there without you,” he belted. “And Christian McCaffrey, dude can run, catch, and pass. But I prefer Nick Bosa, throwing Prescott on his ass.
“‘Cause we belong together now, yeah. Forever united here somehow, yeah. You got a piece of me! And honestly, my life would suck without you, and you, and all you guys too. Thank you.”
Maybe Clarkson can get Kittle a spot on the upcoming season of “American Idol” in February, though 49ers linebacker Bosa seemed to think his teammate should stick to catching and blocking and not hitting the high notes.
The four-time Pro Bowler showed up in pivotal moments this season along with his teammates — one of the biggest to note was his third-quarter hot-potato-one-handed catch in the Divisional Round victory against Dallas, moving the chains to midfield
Kittle, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft — for his football prowess and not his vocal skills — concluded his sixth season with the team. He recorded 11 touchdowns, and 60 receptions for a total of 765 yards this 2022 season. He averaged 12.8 yards per reception — his second-highest on record of 15.6 in 2018.