SF 49ers: George Kittle glad to help Bears, admits he was a Chicago fan

SF 49ers tight end George Kittle was a big piece of the Week 16 win over the Cardinals, which just so happened to help his boyhood team, the Bears.

The SF 49ers are clearly happy they pulled off a surprising 20-12 road-win upset over the playoff-hopeful Arizona Cardinals in Week 16.

So is tight end George Kittle, who made his return to the field after missing the Niners’ last six games with a broken bone in his foot.

And in the greater picture, the Chicago Bears are also happy San Francisco embraced the spoiler role over Arizona, too.

The Bears and Cardinals are jockeying for the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoff picture. Arizona’s loss at the hands of the SF 49ers push head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s squad to 8-7 with a precarious half-game lead over the 7-7 Bears, who have the pleasure of playing the one-win Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Kittle, who had a team-high four receptions for 92 yards in the win over the Cardinals, was more than happy to help his boyhood team.

“I did grow up a Bears fan,” Kittle told reporters after the game. “The fact we helped the Bears a little bit makes me a little happier. So, Da Bears.”

And the SF 49ers weren’t hesitant to wish their NFC North rivals a friendly Christmas gift with the win, too:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1343008968067538944

Kittle was actually born in Madison, Wisconsin but didn’t give into the lure of rooting for another NFC North team, the Green Bay Packers, likely becoming a Bears fan after moving to Iowa at a young age.

But you’d have to ask him about that.

SF 49ers help shape NFC playoff picture

While the 6-9 Niners are out of postseason contention, their final two games will have a direct impact on how the standings pan out.

With San Francisco’s win over Arizona, the Bears can now clinch a playoff berth by winning both Weeks 16 and 17, the latter game coming against the Packers in what could be a Green Bay B-team after clinching the top seed in the NFC, or by splitting the next two contests with the Cardinals losing Week 17 against the LA Rams.

The NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks could also lose their division hold if they fall to the Rams in Week 16, and a subsequent loss to the Niners in Week 17 could drop them as low as the No. 6 seed.

SF 49ers fans would love to see that, too.

So would Kittle, probably.